Fall Festival Celebration Includes Giant Pumpkin Carving, Free Soup

Faculty, staff, and students at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and community members in Washington Heights enjoyed a live pumpkin carving, a jazz performance, warm soup, and winter squash giveaways at the CUIMC Annual Fall Festival on Nov. 12 in Haven Plaza.

The carving of the giant pumpkin–one of the highlights of the event–was performed by local artist Maniac Pumpkin Carvers, who sculpted a tribute to Virginia Apgar. In the weeks leading up to the giant pumpkin carving, members of the CUIMC community were invited to guess the weight of the pumpkin. The winner was Emily Kanellos, a student in the College of Dental Medicine, whose guess of 489 lbs, 1 oz was closest to the actual weight of 490 lbs. Runner-ups included Rami Yaari (488 lbs, 10 oz.), Marta Galanti (488 lbs), Brittany Robinson (486 lbs, 1 oz.), Djamila Eliby (485 lbs), and Nevan Powers (484 lbs, 2 oz).

Chef Busby Keily from the Faculty Club crafted the recipes for the two soups that were distributed to attendees (turkey chili and butternut squash vegetable soup) and also shared the recipes at the event, along with a video demonstration:

More than 2,000 winter squash were given out to attendees, along with over 3,000 servings of soup. The festival was part of a series of employee appreciation events organized by the CUIMC Events Office.

Festival attendees also donated to the Helping Hands Annual Food Drive organized by the CUIMC Office of Academic and Community Partnerships. Attendees donated more than 300 food items to the Fresh Youth Initiatives’ Helping Hands Food Bank, which will distribute the collected goods to families in need during the holidays.

The food drive continues through Nov. 21. The most needed items include beans (dried or canned), grains (brown rice, oatmeal, and pasta), canned fish (tuna and salmon), cooking oils (olive and canola), seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic, chili, cumin, and cinnamon), and canned fruits and vegetables (cranberry sauce, unsweetened applesauce, tomatoes, soup, and vegetables). Only non-perishable items will be accepted. Collection bins are located throughout campus in the following locations:

• Allan Rosenfield lobby (722 W. 168th St.)
• Hammer Health Sciences Center Lower Level 1 (701 W. 168th St.)
• Black Building lobby (650 W. 168th St.)
• School of Nursing lobby (560 W. 168th St.)

Donations can also be made via the drive’s Amazon Wishlist.

For more information about the food drive, contact the Office of Academic and Community Partnerships at 212-305-8060 or acp@cumc.columbia.edu.