Sam and I are the ones responsible for making it happen. This is our 3rd year running it, and by now we should have enough sense to just give it to someone else. But some people just can't learn, apparently.
The planning starts in May when we contact the farmer who rents our fields (why yes, our church owns farming fields) and ask him to plant the corn in this field this year. And then we contact someone else to plant a half field of pumpkins for us. And then we get them sprayed for weeds.
Someone designs the maze, someone runs the lawn tractor through the field cutting it, and lots of someones are responsible for mowing through the summer. While the mass mowing is taking place we start designing brochures and flyers, getting committee heads together, and deciding what new or improved items we'll add.
We get lists together asking for food donations from within the church, we get volunteer staffing for every weekend in October and we arrange childcare for the workers' kids.
And then September happens. In September we line all 5 acres of the maze on both sides with surveyor's tape, we add bridges, tunnels, tee-pees, hay bale climbs and all sorts of fun things for the kids to do inside the maze. We make a hay bale maze inside the gym, we get a literal ton of shelled corn for the kids to play in (think ball pit, farm style), we set up the go-kart track, we fill water balloons for the long range sling shot and we clean off the slides. (Oh, they're not just any slides, trust me. There's a pit of hay to land in at the bottom.)
This weekend is our grand opening. We start our year off by hosting a day just for those with disabilities, and it's my most favoritest day ever. The joy on the kids faces as they get pushed around the go-kart track (most can't pedal themselves) or go down the slide is worth every backbreaking and mind-boggling hour we put into making it happen. The girl who comes every year just to stand by the ponies and hug them while the rest of her family enjoys the maze is the sweetest thing you'll ever meet. She never stops smiling. Really. The girl that plays with the puppies (God always manages to arrange that we have puppies in time for the corn maze) is a regular as well. She is self-appointed keeper of the dogs. And the new families that come for the first time make everything worthwhile - the look of sheer joy and amazement on the faces of the kids is more than enough reason to do it all over again next year.
19 comments:
That looks like so much fun! I love these types of fall festivities. It ranks way up there with sitting around an open fire and drinking hot apple cider.
Besides - it opens you up to TONS of jokes about having "Children of the Corn"
Ok, if I promise to volunteer one weekend can I pleeeease come next year? :) That sounds so much cooler than anything we've ever seen around here even.
The PTO (lucky me, stupid me, my idea) started doing a Pumpkin Fest at school instead of visiting a pumpkin farm, and now I have to find 250 pumpkins to be donated and 4 bales of hay in addition to the items to purchase at Oriental Trading :) You put me to shame.
This looks so incredibly cool! And hats off to you for putting all the work and effort in. Not that you have nothing else going on....
that looks like a BLAST!!!! (and a lot of work)
That looks like so much fun! We are going to the grand opening of a corn maze this weekend. It's in the shape of Johnny Cash, and since Maddie is his biggest fan, I feel I owe it to her.
YOU are the people behind these amazing things?
Wow, Karen you never cease to amaze me.
That is amazing, it looks like so much fun. You know you could never pass it on to someone else to do because you'd miss it too much.
Boy that sounds like a lot of work... but A LOT MORE reward!
i wannna come next year... whaaaaa...
So wishing that I lived closer, this looks like great fun!
You never cease to amaze me, Karen! You Rock!
OMG, can I come too? That looks like so much fun!!!
That sounds fantastic!!! Next year I'm planning our fall break trip to visit YOU!
Those pictures make me so excited for Fall!!! It's my favorite season :)
That looks like so much fun. I wish we had something like that too.
That looks like so much fun!! That slide is so neat!! And all those pumpkins!! I want to go!!! I wish we had stuff like that here!! Very fun.
That looks like so much fun! I'd be in line for that slide all day (well, with my kids, of course)!!!!
Kimmy
Oh, my goodness. That looks like so much fun. Were I not allergic to just about all of it, I'd totally be coming over :)
Sounds AWESOME! I shall be driving out directly :)
My God Karen. You never stop amazing me. That is so stinkin' cool. And that slide? WHOA! Can I have a turn?
That looks awesome. I want to play in the corn kernals with the kids. I'll let Justin take the kids down the slide (since I am a big baby about heights and getting "air time" when I don't have a safety restraint on me).
That is so cool! Maybe next year when the kiddo is a little older we can come up and go through it! I'm sure she'd love it this year, but she would give me a heart attack.
You are going to do it again next year, right???
Post a Comment