The Pumpkin Painter Embraces the Halloween Spirit and Raises Funds for Cystic Fibrosis

Local artist Samantha Hirdes is busy painting and selling pumpkins to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis Canada, despite the annual charity night being cancelled due to COVID-19.

Photo courtesy of Samantha Hirdes.

For the last 12 years Hirdes has been helping out at a local Cystic Fibrosis Benefit night.

“Six years ago, I started painting pumpkins and doing a 'paint your own' table at the fundraising event so the kids attending had something fun to do, and it's just evolved from there,” said Hirdes. “I care a lot about the cause, so I ended up finding a way to overcome that barrier of COVID and continue to deliver pumpkins.”

Hirdes has set up a website so that those interested can order a painted pumpkin. 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to Cystic Fibrosis Canada.

A pumpkin can take Hirdes anywhere from one to four hours to paint, depending on the intricacy of the design, chosen by the customer.

At the in-person charity event, Hirdes estimates she makes an average of $280 yearly, which is all donated to CF Canada. Last year, the first year Hirdes painted pumpkins outside of the in-person fundraiser, she raised over $600.

The pumpkins come in three sizes, and are completely customizable. They are all donated by Leahy’s Farm Market.

“They always donate all of the pumpkins, we just show up and they hand them right over they say take whatever you want - which is amazing.”

This year Hirdes has painted over 35 pumpkins, and is still taking orders. While her ultimate goal is to fundraise, Hirdes is a one woman show and there is limited availability in the amount of art she can create before Halloween.

Cystic fibrosis is a progressive, genetic disease that causes persistent lung infections and limits the ability to breathe over time. While Canada is at the forefront of Cystic Fibrosis research, there is no government funding.

Because of extensive research, made possible by fundraising, this year a new medication is being approved, in almost all the provinces and territories to treat the two most common types of CF.

To order a pumpkin, or to make a monetary donation visit ThePumpkinPainter.com

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