Pumpkin roll

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The Chagrin Falls's Pumpkin Roll is a tradition that has occurred in the village of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, since the 1970s. It involves the students of Chagrin Falls High School rolling pumpkins down Grove Hill in downtown Chagrin Falls and then sledding down the "goo".

1 History
2 Coverage
3 External links
- 3.1 Sources

[edit] History

The "Pumpkin Roll" began as a class prank undertaken by the Chagrin Falls High School class of 1969. The students took 69 pumpkins and rolled them down Grove Hill (part of Main Street in Chagrin Falls). The two conductors of this prank were Steve and Allen Leach. Big help was received from classmate Alvin "Beanie" Smith, as he was the main transport for the gourds, since he owned a dump truck which in normal circumstances was used for his landscaping business. However, little did they know that their class prank would become a tradition. The Leaches younger brother, and many of his classmates from the class of 1971, advanced the movement. Kids from the class 1970 and 1971 collected pumpkins (nothing smaller than a basketball), and then proceeded to dump them out of the backs of their cars and watch them roll down the steep hill. The class of 1971 dumped approximately 530 pumpkins.

These students started a tradition that has been carried for over 30 years since. According to the de facto rules of the event, it is planned largely by the senior class of Chagrin Falls High School, with help from the juniors. No other students are allowed to participate. As a result, the Pumpkin Roll has become a sort of bonding event for the junior and senior classes. They smash open the pumpkins and slide down the hill. The event has evolved over time: It started off as a "dump and run" operation, but now students bring sleds and recycling bins and even baby pools. Eric Gooch, Chagrin Falls High School Graduate, class of 2003, was the first and only student ever to wear roller blades down the hill, then jump and slide down the smashed pumpkin mess. He chose to wear a green M&M suit while chasing his dreams. Police try and stop it every year, but to little effect. For the most part, it has usually ended with some, often minor, injuries to some of the participants.

Every pumpkin is stolen from houses surrounding the area. Juniors and Seniors go out the nights before the actual event to steal them. This is called "pumpkining". Police officials charge the students with theft if they are caught taking the pumpkins. As of October 2006, the class of 2006 and 2007 hold the record for most pumpkins taken with over 2,000 pumpkins thrown down Grove hill the night of the roll.

As of late the Roll has maintained a strong connection with underage drinking. A large party beforehand is usually held at a senior or juniors barn where all the pumpkins are collected before charging the hill.

5 Juniors, Kevin Stern, Matt "44" Lechner, Luke Haldeman, Greg Lynch, and Tommy "The Rat/M.U.S.T" Fox from the class of 2009 hold the current record for largest pumpkin stolen, weighing in at 776.5 pounds.

[edit] Coverage

Every year, footage from the event airs on Cleveland's local news stations. Footage from the 2004 Pumpkin Roll shot by former student Ryan Luby appeared on ESPN as number eight on the “Not Top 10 Plays of the Week”. This drew national attention towards Chagrin Falls, which is a small village with a population of roughly 4,000.