Community Corner
Pink Pumpkins in Time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Pink pumpkins through the end of October will be on sale at Sweetbay supermarkets, with a portion of sales going to support breast cancer research. Never heard of a pink pumpkin? That's because they're new, and here's what you can do with
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and on sale at Sweetbay supermarkets in Greater Brandon and beyond are gourds that feature a pale-pink skin with orange flesh.
"This year marks the first fall harvest of pink pumpkins, a variety known as 'Porcelain Doll FI' and created by DP Seeds," a company that "has spent several years perfecting its hybrid pumpkins to create the pink color," according to a Sweetbay news release.
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"Our goal with these pink pumpkins is to brighten our shoppers' homes and help make their fall season more memorable," according to Nicole LeBeau, a Sweetbay spokesperson.
Your goal, as a purchaser of pink pumpkins, might be to help support the cause of fighting breast cancer; according to Sweetbay, the non-profit Pink Pumpkin Patch Foundation will donate a portion of sales to breast cancer research.
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Founded in 2012 to aid in the fight against breast cancer, the foundation's promise is "to oversee the donations and ensure that the funds go directly to reputable organizations with the highest percentage of dollars spent on actual research."
According to the group's Web site, "America’s pumpkin growers have committed to giving a percentage of proceeds from every pink pumpkin sold this year to organizations involved in breast cancer research."
Sweetbay notes that pink pumpkins retail for approximately $6.99 for a 22-24 pound gourd.
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What You Can Do With Pink Pumpkins
(Source: Sweetbay Supermarkets)
- Create a Barbie-doll pumpkin; remove the top of the pumpkin and slip inside, up to the waist, a Barbied doll. Decorate the pumpkin as her dress or skirt.
- Create a princess-themed pumpkin; add a tiara, wand and paint for a face.Add rhinestones, stickers, ribbon down the sides, colorful bows on the stem.
- Add a twist to home decor, notes Kylie Italiano, owner of Casa Nova, an interior design and home furnishings store in Tampa. The pink pumpkins, she adds, "can be dressed up alongside china and candlesticks for a table setting that is refined, or combined with natural woods and organic linens for rustic and chic styling."
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Are you ready to go pink for Halloween? Have plans for a pink pumpkin in your October plans? Let us know in the comment box below.
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