Third grade students go head-to-head in the first round of competition at Butler Catholic School's first pumpkin roll on Saturday. From left, Amelia Bicker, Brady Green, Alania Nguyen and Willem Leyland release their pumpkins down the starting ramp.

It started out in May as an empty city lot on East Locust Street next to the Butler Catholic School. Add a bunch of pumpkin seeds and some loving care, and the fall harvest yielded students more than 80 pumpkins and a bushel full of fun.

On Saturday, school students celebrated their harvest and the autumn season with the school's first pumpkin roll.The original plan was to have the pumpkin roll as a community event with food trucks, pumpkins rolling down East Locust Street and other fun activities. However, the event was modified because of COVID-19 concerns, and the school created a fun, holiday-themed event for the students.

The pumpkin roll was a tournament of sorts, with each grade going head-to-head — sending their chosen pumpkins rolling down the slope. The winners of each grade went on to the second round, which had three grades facing off against one another.The winners of the second round had a grand championship “rolloff,” with the champion class, Room 214, winning a pizza party.“Fun was had by all, but perhaps the biggest takeaway from today was the kindness, caring nature and generosity of our BCS families,” said Kathy Dudley, BCS spokeswoman.

As part of Saturday's event, BCS held two fundraisers, the proceeds of which will benefit the family of Mary Maloney, a student at Blessed Seelos Academy who was recently injured in a trampoline accident.Students participated in a $1 jeans day, and were also able to buy raffle tickets for a basket of student-only items, including jeans day passes, lunch tickets, ice cream coupons and some homework-free passes.“Because of the outpouring of support from so many, we will be sending $1,500 to this wonderful family to help with medical and other expenses,” Dudley said.

Second-grade and fifth-grade students at Butler Catholic School root for their favorite pumpkins rolling down the slope Oct. 10, 2020.

Butler Catholic School sixth-grade students Hayden Deal and Noah Weiland proudly carry their class pumpkins toward the pumpkin roll ramp on Oct. 10, 2020.

Each class entered two pumpkins into the Pumpkin Roll at Butler Catholic School on Oct. 10, 2020. Students Hayden Deal, Conor Bradrick, Logan Brown, Emma Shoemaker and Nick Damico carry their class pumpkins to the competition.