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Harrison Church, Volunteers, Help Pumpkin Patch

MAMARONECK, N.Y. -- Belinda Merker picked pumpkins with her father Mark at St. Thomas Episcopal Church's annual Community Pumpkin Patch, which benefits different local charities every year.

The Mamaroneck residents have come to the Boston Post Road church for their pumpkins on and off over the years. But, when Belinda, 11, was younger, she couldn't get enough of the sloped field and big round pumpkins.

"I liked it when I was young," said Belinda, who is an eighth grader at Hommocks Middle School. "I would run around and look at all the pumpkins."

This year, all proceeds go to Larchmont Friends of the Family and the Washingtonville Housing Alliance. A portion of the money also goes back to the New Mexico reservation where the pumpkins were grown.

All pumpkins were grown by Navajo Indians as part of the Community Pumpkin Patch 2011. St. Thomas is one of more than 800 organizations nationwide selling their pumpkins on consignment, which creates about 1,200 jobs on the New Mexico farm, said Deacon Lynn Wardel of St. Thomas.

The annual pumpkin patch has also raised over $70,000 for local organizations since its inception in 2001.

St. Thomas ran their pumpkin patch on its own for the first three years, but have since partnered with St. John's Church in Larchmont, Trinity/St. Paul in New Rochelle and All Saints Church in Harrison. Each church provides volunteers to run the patch, which is open the entire month of October, for one week.

Mary Olsson and Kate Beeby, who represent St. Thomas, helped run the patch a few days this week.

Where do you buy your pumpkins for Halloween? Comment below.

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