Pumpkin launch offers unique recycling method

Certain Bloomington residents won't be throwing away the moldy, bug-ridden pumpkins sitting on their front porches -- they'll be flinging them through the air at the Hilltop Garden and Nature Center. On Saturday, contestants will bring four pumpkins that weigh a minimum of five pounds each that they are willing to part company with when Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department holds its fifth annual "Great Bloomington Pumpkin Launch" at noon Friday. \nCommunity Relations Manager Julie Ramey has been involved in organizing the four previous pumpkin launches.\n"We're looking forward to another successful pumpkin launch," Ramey said. "What could be more fun than watching squishy, moldy jack o' lanterns fly through the air and land with a satisfying splat?"\nInventors will have to be innovative. According to a press release from Parks and Recreation, "pumpkin cannons" can't use "compressed air, fuel, hydraulics or electricity."\n"Our launch designers and operators have not failed yet to be exceptionally creative in their launch inventions," Ramey said.\nLeslie Kaiser is Bloomington's community events coordinator.\n"We will have four to six launchers, which is a pretty typical turnout," Kaiser said. \nKaiser also said they are expecting about 300 spectators to come out for Saturday's event. \nThe pumpkin launching contest won't be based on distance alone. There is also a competition for accuracy for cannons to hit specified targets. Contestants competing only in the "Longest Launch" category pay an extra $25. The winner in the "Longest Launch" category will receive a digital camera valued at $200.\nProceeds from the event are split evenly between the park district and the Hilltop Garden and Nature Center. For only $1, residents and students are welcome to watch the festivities. \n"Depending on how many spectators come to the event," Ramey said, "each organization can look to receive between $100 and $200."\nWhile Ramey described numerous designs for launchers that have been successful in the past, one seems to be the most effective. "Lord of the Rings" fans will appreciate the trebuchet design, which looks something like a pole with a sling that launches from a pivot -- reminiscent of the battle scenes from the film. It is both long and accurate. Ramey said other past designs included spring-loaded PVC pipe cannons and catapults. Two years ago, a participant used a rope to provide tension and launched the pumpkin by cutting the rope with a hatchet. Ramey said his design was greeted with a "great deal of fanfare." \nBut Ramey also said this contest is more than simple fun, it serves practical applications as well. \n"We also like the idea of recycling, and that the pumpkins from this year will nourish and replenish the soil for next year's crops," Ramey said.