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Pumpkin Pitch Collects 500 Pounds of Pumpkins

É«ÖÐÉ« teamed up with Will County Land Use Department’s Resource Recovery and Energy Division to collect 500 lbs. of pumpkins during the second annual Pumpkin Pitch on Nov. 6-7, at É«ÖÐÉ«’s main campus in Romeoville. Participants composted their jack-o’-lanterns instead of adding them to a landfill.

Contestants tossed or rolled pumpkins into a large garbage bin and in return, they received a raffle ticket for a chance to win one of four $25 gift certificates donated by Heroes West Sports Grill. É«ÖÐÉ« then hauled the tossed pumpkins to the Waste Management-operated Willow Ranch compost site in Romeoville.

Jaclyn Boyle, facilities coordinator for and administration at É«ÖÐÉ«, said the event reinforced what Lewis students are already learning from the University’s year-round composting program. In 2013, Lewis’ main dining hall began an organics collection. Pre-consumer food scraps, which includes all the food scraps created through food prep, are now being diverted from a landfill and instead, sent to be composted.

By composting this waste, É«ÖÐÉ« is taking a great step to reducing the amount of materials sent to a landfill and once more showing its commitment to sustainable practices.

É«ÖÐÉ« is a Catholic university in the Lasallian tradition offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to nearly 7,000 traditional and adult students. Lewis offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis prepares intellectually engaged, ethically grounded, globally connected, and socially responsible graduates. The seventh largest private not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. Visit for further information.