The event was held last fall in Rantoul, IL and saw a world record toss of more than 4,000 feet, but saw fewer participants, according to a release from organizers.
“Before we commit to taking the World Championship on the road in 2020, we want to see if Delmarva can help bring this event closer to home and closer to our dedicated base of volunteers, vendors, teams, and fans that supported us for so many years. To do that we need somewhere willing to hold the event with lots of open space,” the release stated.
The event was held for more than a decade on a farm near Bridgeville in Sussex County. Organizers say they want to a similar site that could be used for camping festivities and competition, as well as the ability to handle a pumpkin toss of 5,000-plus feet. The tract could have up to 600 acres.
Organizers went on to cite the economic advantages of holding the event in a region, including the charitable contributions made by the organization over the years that included scholarships.
In making a pitch for a Delaware site, the group offered the following:
“Our roots will always be in Delaware, but without needed legislation limiting the liability that non-profit organizations and landowners leasing their property may be exposed to from frivolous lawsuits, holding the event on private property within the state is not feasible. A partnership with the state of Delaware or one of our counties to hold the event on state/county-owned land would extend such protections to the WCPCA. If Delaware is once again not an option for the World Championship Punkin Chunkin we will continue to expand our search outside of the state, looking throughout the Delmarva region for a suitable property. Maryland, Virginia, and beyond hold untapped potential for the WCPCA and, in some cases, already have legislation in place that Delaware lacks.”
Punkin Chunkin, in its final years in Delaware, struggled with high liability insurance costs and a failure to get reforms through the General Assembly. The event also saw injuries that included a member of a crew filming the event.
Anyone who knows of a site that would be a good fit for our 2020 event, are interested in getting involved with the WCPCA, or want to learn more about the World Championship Punkin Chunkin , can visit www.punkinchunkin.com, the release concluded.
