Local woman gives away free pumpkins to honor late father

WONDER LAKE — In a heartwarming gesture of love and remembrance, resident Kristen Konieczny has found a unique way to honor the memory of her late father. After her father passed away in 2022, Konieczny came up with the idea to give back to her local community by buying several pumpkins and setting them up in her front yard for individuals to take free of charge.

“Almost three years ago, I started giving away pumpkins in honor of my dad who passed away. He used to send me pumpkins every year for my family’s annual carving party,” said Konieczny via Facebook. “When he passed, I didn’t want to continue Halloween anymore because it was his and mine’s favorite holiday and it didn’t seem the same. However, I still had my family who wanted to carry on traditions so I came up with giving back to the community.”

Since starting “Papa Tucky’s Pumpkin Patch,” Konieczny has been slowly increasing the number of pumpkins she’s been giving away. This year, Konieczny states that she has purchased at least 100 pumpkins.

“Because of the great turnout and many requests, I will be putting a donation bucket outside by the pumpkins. By no means do you need to contribute to that. I just had a lot of people that wanted to [contribute] last year,” said Konieczny.

The gesture has certainly resonated deeply with the community. Neighbors and passersby have shared stories of how Konieczny’s generosity has touched their lives over the three years she’s been doing her giveaway.

Individuals interested in picking up a free pumpkin from Tucky’s Pumpkin Patch can do so beginning Oct. 5 at 7408 Wooded Shore Drive in Wonder Lake.