Photo Provided Ben Harris, organizer of the first Pumpkin Chuckin’ at Washington State Community College, poses with a pumpkin and the catapault that will hurl the gourds 300 feet away. The event will be held 2-7 p.m. Nov. 4 at the college where other activities are planned for the family event.

Washington State Community College has a fun alternative to dispose of jack-o-lanterns and pumpkins.

The college will hold its first Pumpkin Chuckin’ from 2-7 p.m. Nov. 4.

The college has planned activities to fill the day with lots of family fun including live music, games, food trucks and the hurling of pumpkins into the great beyond, Ben Harris, event organizer, said.

“This is a free community event that not only will be great entertainment, but a fun way to get people excited about science, technology, engineering and math because flinging pumpkins demands lots of S.T.E.M. knowledge,” Harris said.

The college has constructed a catapult that, depending on a variety of factors including size, weight and weather conditions, will chuck the pumpkins by as much as 300 feet. For safety, all pumpkins will be directed to a wooded area of campus, Harris said.

Weight restrictions on what can be launched will be in place. Pumpkins must weigh at least 5 pounds to be chucked.

Those without a pumpkin won’t have a problem, Harris said. Thanks to the generous donation of pumpkins from local farms and businesses, plenty of gourds will be available.

The college hopes to make this an annual event and is already looking into ways to incorporate a competitive section to the chuckin.’

“This is our inaugural year and if everything goes well this year, I’m certain it will only get bigger and better next year,” Harris said.

For more information, go to wscc.edu/pumpkin-chuckin.