To a lot of people who come to the 9th Annual Punkin’ Chunkin’ festival it’s all about fun and entertainment, but to Howard Volunteer Firefighters it’s about financial survival.

George Demchak with the Howard Volunteer Fire Company says they’re in need of funds and volunteers, just like most volunteer fire companies in the state.

“We need about $120,000 a year just to maintain and keep the station open, the apparatus running,” Demchak, said.

He says seventeen percent of that comes from townships, the rest is up to them to raise.

“We’re asking our volunteers to do a lot for fundraising, this one event brings in a quarter of our budget and decreases what we have to do for other fundraising,” Ott, said.

The fall festival features, food and crafts, mini launchers for kids to launch pumpkins and the main event, Punkin’ Chunkin’ launching from wooden trebuchets, like this and their new air cannon.

Demchak says, when you’re supporting a fire company like them you’re helping to save lives.

“Punkin Chunkn can bring in a nice amount of money, $22,000 for a one day event and then, that then in turn frees up our members so they can have more training, we can purchase better apparatus, better safety gear, which in turn goes full circle and helps the community, because you have better trained, better equipped responders,” Demchak, said.

Saturday, the opening ceremonies at the Punkin’ Chunkin’ festival start at 10AM and launching at 10:30AM. The launching goes till’ 5.