News Story - Idaho State Journal

POCATELLO - The scarecrows at the Pinehurst Floral and Greenhouse Octoberfest were filled with much more than hay.

The Scarecrow Festival has been a part of the fall event for four years, and every year the scarecrows being auctioned off are loaded with prizes by local businesses.

This year, event organizers were stunned by some of the packages offered by participants.

''There are some unbelievable packages,'' said Vicky Kendrick, owner of Pinehurst. ''We get more participation every year from businesses and individuals, and (the event has) continued to grow.''

Scarecrows were provided by local restaurants, salons and spas, Idaho State University, the Bengal Foundation and local banks. A scarecrow package provided by Gottschalk's at the live auction included a three-piece luggage set and two round-trip airplane tickets to anywhere in the continental United States.

All proceeds from the auction and other events Friday were donated to the Bengal Foundation and the ISU Football Alumni Team. Mike Calley, president of the Bengal Foundation, said having a unique fundraiser that involved the community was welcomed by ISU.

''This event in the past raised $3,000 to $4,000 for the university,'' Calley said. ''The scarecrows are getting better and better every year. It's amazing the kinds of things businesses are putting into them. It's great to see that support from the community.''

Octoberfest is a two-day event held every year at Pinehurst Floral and Greenhouse in Chubbuck. Besides the Friday evening scarecrow auction, Octoberfest also includes a Kids Carnival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Admission for children to the carnival is a can of food for the Idaho Food Bank, and events include face-painting, pumpkin-painting, crafts, games with prizes and a pumpkin-growing contest.

Kendrick said she and her husband, Wally, started Octoberfest a number of years ago. They decided to make the community event a fundraiser for ISU.

''We've done this for years, and we started out with just the Octoberfest,'' Kendrick said. ''And then Penny Hugues, our manager, came up with the Scarecrow Festival, and we just chose ISU as the recipient of the funds from it. We approached them to have them be part of this.''

ISU athletic director Paul Bubb said it was a nice change to have a fundraiser that branched out to another facet of the community other than just sports fans. He said Octoberfest wasn't the biggest fundraiser for the Bengal Foundation, but it was certainly one of the most creative.

''We really do need to raise money, and that's not always just from season tickets or from donors. It can come in a variety of ways,'' Bubb said. ''When people get creative and think of new ways to help us, it's beneficial, and it helps get our message out there, as well.''

By Adam Chambers

This document was originally published online on Saturday, October 20, 2007

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