Despite cold temperatures and rainy weather, the Annual Free Pumpkin Giveaway was considered a success.

The Monument Professional Fire Fighters (MPFF), Local 4319, organized and held its seventh Annual Free Pumpkin Giveaway Oct. 19 at the Monument Marketplace clock tower. The event serves as a give-back opportunity to the Monument and Tri-Lakes communities by the firefighters.

However, it also served as a food drive to benefit Tri-Lakes Cares. Patrons were encouraged to bring non-perishable food item donations to the gathering.

Keegan Black, with the MPFF local and one of the event’s organizers, said it may have been the coldest annual event it has had.

“We’ve had some cold days but never like rain, sleet and snow,” Black said.

The weather didn’t keep members of the community away, however. Although the event was scheduled from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., the mass of pumpkins gathered to give away were gone one and a half hours early.

In addition, the event accumulated 850 pounds of food donations for Tri-Lakes Cares, announced on the local MPFF Facebook page later that day.

“It’s been a challenge. We didn’t get quite as many pumpkins as we did the last few years,” Black said. “But we were trying to work with the weather and the amount of people that potentially would come out.

“Who doesn’t like a good pumpkin?”

While the Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Protection District aids the free pumpkin giveaway effort, the gathering is a union event.

“They show up and help with different things as well,” Black said.