Mon Mar 10 06:25:00 UTC 2008
More than 45 pumpkins growers will compete for the title of Giant Pumpkin Champion in the Shoprite Checkers Giant Pumpkin Competition to be held at Die Werf, Pniel in March 2008.
Pumpkins are renowned for their nutritional value. They contain beta-carotene that lowers the risk of developing certain types of cancer and heart disease. An old folk remedy says to eat pumpkin to cure insomnia, and in earlier periods pumpkins were even used for removing freckles and curing snakebites. Beta-carotene also offers protection against the degenerative aspects of aging, as can be seen through the number of facial and anti-wrinkle creams that contain pumpkin today.
Contests for pumpkin growers competing on size are very popular all over the world and just last year a new record was set up in Rhode Island in the United States with a pumpkin of 766 kilograms! In the Western Cape the period from September to April is peak time for pumpkin growing and to celebrate this, Shoprite Checkers is once again hosting its own giant pumpkin competition to find the Giant Pumpkin Champion in the Western Cape.
The competition kicked off on Monday, 27 September 2007 when Shoprite Checkers invited any pumpkin grower in the Western Cape who believed he or she could grow a pumpkin of phenomenal size to register for the competition. All the entrants received seeds and growers kits provided by the Boland Giant Pumpkin Growers Association, and were urged to take good care of their pumpkin till judging day. That day has finally come and on 15 March of this year all their hard work come to fruition when the pumpkins are weighed and the winner, runner up and second runner up announced.
The Giant Pumpkin Champion will walk away with R10 000. The second and third places will each receive cash prizes to the value of R5 000 and R2 000, respectively.
Members of the public are invited to join in the activities of the day that will start at 9:30 and promises to be a fun day for the whole family with entertainment by Soli Philander, Desmond Wells and Rooies.
Who knows...the new Giant Pumpkin world record may just come from the Western Cape this year!