Pumpkin Patch

Halloween brought out the usual “suspects” as the Soroptimists assisted the Optimists with their annual Pumpkin Patch festivities at Apollo Park in Downey.
Thousands of kids had a great time as they played carnival games that were just their size, ate free popcorn, cotton candy, hot dogs and drank free soft drinks. The weather was warmer than the usual Halloween, but that just made it easier to show of great costumes – no coats required.

And there were some really great costumes this year – some were very scary, some absolutely adorable and everything in between.

Soroptimists were stationed throughout the venue, some judging the costume contest, some twirling cotton candy, some bagging popcorn, and the valiant diehards wrapping hot dogs and serving condiments – some for 4 hours straight.

Soroptimist Pumpkin Patch Volunteers
Beverly Mathis, Sam Mathis (Soroptimister), Pat Heineke, Michael Heineke (Soroptimister), Jan Scott, Judy McDonnell, Beth Crawford, Sonal Mundhra, Sudeep Patel (Soroptimister), Lisette Michel, Anne Bayer, Sue Potter, Barb Withrow, Dorothy Pemberton, Lorine Parks, Vicki Spearman, Linda Haines, Patty Kotze, Carol Rowland, Mia Vasquez, Ellie Eck,

Hot Dog Wrapping
How many hot dog buns can you stuff with hot dogs and wrap in foil in 1 minute? Depends on how late it gets.

As always we had a lot of fun, and had a terrific opportunity to serve others.
For a while one of the Soroptimist husbands was handing out hot dogs. He is very much “by the rules,” so no one got more than one hot dog. But several made more than one trip through the line. He commented as he was leaving that one person had a shopping bag that appeared to be full of wrapped hot dogs. He was dismayed that that person was taking advantage of the generosity of the Optimists who purchased all the food and drink products. His wife told him that she thought it unlikely that person was going to take the hot dogs and re-sell them for a profit, so they probably really needed the food. How great that Optimists and Soroptimists were able to assist that person in some small way, and at the same time provide some great fun for kids in the community.


Costume Judging
Tinkerbells, Ninja Turtles, Snow Whites, Dorothys and Aliens were greeted at the Costume Judging stage by our own Vampire Mistress of the Night, aka Dorothy Pemberton. Her spectacular outfit consisted of a tight-fitting long black satin skirt, with a black bustier laced with blood-red cords. A tall crimson collar protected the nape of her neck but left her throat unprotected. Black chiffon veils fluttered from her shoulders, and to top it all, she wore a Marie Antoinette burgundy wig of curls piled on curls, cascading like coiled snakes down her bare arms.

She danced in her black leather boots to the stage music while the rest of the judges were deciding and then took the ribbons to the master of ceremonies. To award as many prizes as possible, we judges decided to give double ribbons from first to fourth in each age group. We chose a glittering Cleopatra and an astronaut whose life-support back pack was nearly as big as he was. Double entries including sleeping twins dressed as an angel and a devil, and a tall pair of condiments, Ketchup and Mustard. One lady pirate had a romantic black tricorne hat trimmed with yards of black Chantilly lace and ostrich plumes spilling over the brim

The prize for the best home-made costume went to a candy vending machine, a boy walking inside a brown box which was cut out in front, with knobs and dials and a coin slot. Milky Ways and Dots and Reese's Peanutbutter Cups were pasted to his metallic chest. We thought Best in Show should be divided between a Tin Man, dressed in an aluminum suit, face painted silver, with a funnel upside down for a hat, who brandished his hatchet at his co-winner, a beautiful big black t. rex museum-class skeleton, his headpiece extending three feet in back of him and his bony tail so long he had to carry the tip in his dinosaur hand to keep people from stepping on it. A very large tottering Frankenstein won his prize in the Adult contest.

After the event was over, we judges thought it would be fun to each take some extra ribbons and wander through the crowd, awarding them randomly. I gave one of mine to a tired couple pushing a Pumpkin in a stroller, and that brightened them up. The other I gave for Best Dressed Dog, a poodle in a striped satin frock with puffy sleeves. The pet's owner, unrecognizable in bloody gooey face make-up and little horns, turned out to be Gary deRemer.

Cotton Candy and Popcorn Bag Stuffing
This year due to it being a Saturday the Optimist were able to get out early and pop an abundance of popcorn before 5pm. Therefore supply was not an issue. At around 6pm demand was high! Though the popcorn bags were being stuffed as fast as possible, and though starting with a tower it quickly became a fast as you can situation. Some kids came through the line 3 times! Always with a smile, and a could I have more popcorn please?

The cotton candy twirlers had 3 long lines waiting for the soft, sticky deliciousness. These brave twirlers were covered in cotton candy from head to toe! But they all happily said it was worth it and they would definitely do it again.

Contributions By: Patricia Heinke, Lorine Parks, and Sonal Mundhra
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