TEMECULA – Have you ever wondered what happens to all the pumpkins at the end of each Halloween season?
“According to The Atlantic, every year, more than 1 billion pounds of pumpkin get tossed out and left to rot in America’s landfills,” Lisa McGuigan, founder of Temecula Tots said. “Some are thrown away the day after Halloween, contributing to the 30.3 million tons of annual food waste in the U.S. When left to decompose in a landfill, that food waste produces methane gas.”
McGuigan said that her “porch-party-pumpkin game” is “strong.”
“I love the festivities of the season, but dumping all those pumpkins felt so wasteful,” she said. “I know what you are thinking, and I do enjoy my pumpkin pie as much as the next gal, but how many pumpkin pies can we realistically take down? What to do with all those leftover pumpkins was starting to haunt me.”
To help put all that waste to good use, McGuigan and Temecula Tots are inviting the community to gather for a pumpkin drive benefiting the animals at The Shore Sanctuary in Eucalyptus Hills. Guests are invited to drop-off pumpkins, play and do a little good at The Little Red Barn Indoor Playground, 33050 Antelope Road, Suite 210, in Murrieta Friday, Nov. 3, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 4, from 10 a.m. to noon.
All pumpkins will be hand-delivered to The Shore Sanctuary in Eucalyptus Hills. The Shore Sanctuary is a nonprofit organization and medical needs-focused rescue that is dedicated to providing long term care to some of the most vulnerable, abused, neglected and forgotten animals.
For those unable to make it to the pumpkin drive, McGuigan suggested making a donation to the sanctuary instead.
Donations can be made by visiting https://linktr.ee/Theshoresanctuary.
To learn more about Temecula Tots, visit https://www.instagram.com/temeculatots/.
Submitted by Temecula Tots.
