Peters Township kids raise money for animals with pumpkin stand
Jon Andreassi/Observer-Reporter
Sky and Chace Stewart sit behind their Pumpkin Stand at their Peters Township home. This is the fifth year they have run a pumpkin stand during the fall season.
Photos: Jon Andreassi/Observer-Reporter
Sky and Chance with their dog Penny, who their family got from South Hills Pet Rescue. Money from the stand goes to support the rescue.
They may have changed locations, but Chace and Sky Stewart’s Pumpkin Stand is up and running for the fifth year running.
Chace, 10, and Sky, 7, moved to Peters Township from Bethel Park this year with their parents, Jeff and Erica Stewart.
“Way back in 2018, we thought of this idea of doing this pumpkin stand while we had a bunch of pumpkins. We didn’t sell as much the first year, but then it really went on,” Chace said.
With the stand, Chace and Sky have been able to put a twist on a classic child-run business.
“We were thinking we wanted to do a lemonade stand, but better,” Sky said.
In the past two years, they have been able to donate more than $1,700 to South Hills Pet Rescue, where the Stewart family got their dog, Penny.
Jeff Stewart helps his son build the stand each year, complete with homemade painted signs.
“It’s really cool. They love it. They start it in the summer. As soon as it’s July, it’s pumpkin time,” Erica said.
Many of the pumpkins this year were donated by Bedner’s Farm. The Stewart’s buy some themselves. They have even started growing their own pumpkins.
The stand stays up through Halloween Day.
Since Chace and Sky started the pumpkin stand, they have started having a “fall festival” where they sell the bulk of their pumpkins. This year their festival will be Oct. 2. It will take place at the Stewart’s home on Juniper Drive.
Larry Ott, grandfather to Cace and Sky, said the festival is a big day for the family.
“A lot of people in the community stop by once they get word of it. But the whole family comes, and we invite a lot of the friends of the family. He gets 100 people or so on that day,” said
“More,” Sky added.
For Erica, it’s rewarding to see her children take the initiative to support a good cause.
“It’s really nice, and it’s nice that they know they’re helping the dogs. The pet rescue needs a lot of community support,” Erica said. “We’re really, really happy to be a part of that