Pumpkins for the PTA

Pumpkin bread. Pumpkin sales. Glittery pumpkins.

Smith Middle School hearkened the Halloween season with its annual pumpkin festival Oct. 23.

Funds raised benefited the school PTA, which organizes field trips, a music program and technological advances.

“It’s just a really fun family event,” PTA President Gina Gleason said. “But it’s turned by proxy into a fundraiser.”

Events throughout the afternoon included a cake walk — which kids continued to play long after the cakes ran out — and a variety of carnival games.

“We were a little more concerned with the turnout, with the economy like it is, but it worked out great,” said David Gilliard, who heads up the event with his wife, Diana.

Although the school didn’t suffer from state budget cuts, the state of the overall economy still was illustrated that day.

Middle school students hawked pumpkins, which they clustered in circles on the campus tetherball courts.

When the bright orange globes’ prices were lowered to $1 each at the end of the event, mothers swarmed the area — corralling several at a time and hastily pulling out dollar bills.