Official Press Release
February 4, 2020
All inquiries should go to [email protected]
2019 was one for the record books as, for the first time ever, the World Championship Punkin Chunkin went on the road. The village of Rantoul, Illinois played host to our 2019 event and provided exceptional hospitality to all the teams and volunteers. Although there were fewer teams in attendance, the excitement level remained high and new records were set. A mechanical machine, Chunk Norris, set a new world record for its class and simultaneously clinched the 2019 World Championship with a chunk of more than 4000 feet. Our dedicated World Championship Punkin Chunkin Association (WCPCA) family worked tirelessly throughout the year to rebuild what many believed to be a lost cause and create an event that instilled pride in the volunteers, teams, and fans in attendance.
While we consider the 2019 event a success, we also realize that the distance from our “home base” here in Sussex County precluded many people from attending. 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.
Much like the property in Bridgeville that hosted the World Championship Punkin Chunkin for more than 15 years, the ideal location would have up to 600 acres of land that could be utilized for parking, camping, festivities, and most importantly, the competition. Although we are able to utilize a smaller space, a key feature for any prospective property is the ability for the WCPCA to measure “chunked” pumpkins to a distance of 5,000+ feet.
The WCPCA’s goal for the World Championship Punkin Chunkin is to be able to give back to its host community in the form of charitable donations and scholarships. We do this by working closely with our volunteers, watching our costs, and successfully partnering with local businesses and state/county organizations. There are also economic and cultural benefits to the host town/county as many of our attendees patronize the local hotels, restaurants, and other businesses.
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.
We are excited about the future of Punkin Chunkin. Although you will notice changes in the years to come, these are in an effort to stay relevant, exciting, and, most importantly, safe. We will continue our mission of fueling innovative engineering and science-based ideas in an effort to cultivate the competitive quest for the distance that inspires creativity, ingenuity, teamwork, and passion. It is this very dedication that will drive our organization into the future and continue to support our scholarship and charitable programs.
If you know of land that may 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, visit our website at www.punkinchunkin.com.