The annual giant pumpkin made its arrival at Pines Elementary School on Tuesday, October 15, continuing a beloved fall tradition made possible by the Gries family.

Luke Gries, a former Pines student, delivered this year's pumpkin to the school. His father, a former owner of Michael's Nursery, began donating a giant pumpkin each year when his sons, Keil and Luke, were students at Pines. Although both sons have since graduated, the Gries family has proudly continued this special tradition for the school community.

Each student had the opportunity to put their estimation skills to the test by guessing the pumpkin's weight. Classes visited the giant pumpkin on display in the main lobby, taking a closer look before submitting their best guesses. The student whose estimate came closest to the actual weight earned the grand prize: taking the pumpkin home!

This year's pumpkin weighed 126 pounds, and second grader Jamie Walker came remarkably close with a guess of just 125 pounds!

Congratulations to Jamie and all of our students for putting their math skills to the test! A special thank-you to the Gries family for their continued generosity and for keeping this wonderful Pines tradition growing year after year.