Share Your Creativity in the Carilion Pumpkin Decorating Contest

UPDATE, Tuesday, Oct. 13: All Pumpkins Have Been Claimed!

Wow! We’re thrilled by the enthusiastic response to our first systemwide pumpkin decorating contest! Due to overwhelming interest, all available pumpkins have been claimed, and ordering is now closed. 

We appreciate everyone's interest and understanding as we launch this inaugural contest! 

Please be sure to tune back in to Inside Carilion on Oct. 30 to see the the pumpkin creations from teams across the system, the regional finalists, and the official system winner.

It’s time to put your team’s creativity to the test! We are launching our first systemwide pumpkin decorating contest, inviting departments/units to transform a pumpkin into a festive masterpiece.

Caring for our patients and communities is meaningful work, and taking time to connect with colleagues can help foster both our own and our teams' well-being. Teams across the system have historically hosted their own pumpkin decorating contests. This year, we’re bringing those efforts together into one coordinated, systemwide celebration, keeping it simple while still making space for connection.

Pumpkins may be painted, glued and decorated—but no carving or cutting is permitted. 

A few other guidelines: 

• Decorations may not include latex materials, including balloons. 
• Pumpkins with offensive or inappropriate content will be removed. 
• Decorations may not include clinical or non-clinical Carilion-owned supplies. 
• Be sure to give your creation a creative name and clearly label it with your department information. 

How It Works

As of Tuesday, Oct. 13, thanks to an impressive turnout, all pumpkins have officialy been claimed, and ordering is closed. 

Pumpkins will be delivered by Thursday, Oct. 15 as part of regular delivery routes. Decorated pumpkins are due on Thursday, Oct. 22.

For hospital-based teams, you will work with your designated hospital contact to coordinate pumpkin pick up and submissions. Once registered, your contact will reach out to you with additional details. Hospital contacts are as follows: 

• CRMH and CRCH: Cindy Akers (cyakers@carilionclinic.org)
• CFMH: Betty Underwood (baunderwood@carilionclinic.org)
• CGCH: Tara French (tlfrench@carilionclinic.org) 
• CNRV: Tammy Cressell (tlcressell@carilionclinic.org)
• CRBH: Summer Clemmer (snclemmer@carilionclinic.org)
• CTCH: April Rose (adrose@carilionclinic.org)

For ambulatory and non-hospital based teams, your pumpkins will be delivered to your location, and the competition will be virtual, with a photo gallery of submissions and corresponding electronic vote. JonRyan Campbell (jmcampbell1@carilionclinic.org) will lead this work and be point for ambulatory and non-hospital based team questions.  

Voting will take place Friday, Oct. 23 – Tuesday, Oct. 27. Each hospital will have an in-person pumpkin display and vote, and ambulatory and non-hospital based teams will be invited to vote online. On Wednesday, Oct. 28, first-, second- and third-place winners for each contest will be named competing for bragging rights.

But the competition doesn’t stop there! First-place pumpkins will advance to the systemwide competition with the overall winner announced on Friday, Oct. 30.

We can’t wait to see which team comes out on top! If you have questions, work with your designated contact listed above. We’ll share all the pumpkins and name the system winner on Inside Carilion at the end of the month. Happy decorating!