People help out in all sorts of ways, some of which are distinctly original. JR Hildebrandt is one of those out of the box thinkers, that’s for sure. Mr. Hildenbrandt took carving pumpkins to a whole new level when he made his into a boat. That’s right, a 760-pound pumpkin boat, with a chair, a small heater and room for himself.

He is making an 8-day trek to raise money for a charity that provides special needs children with memorable trips. What better way to raise money for this cause than having a memorable trip oneself?

“We’ve sent children to Disney Land or Disney World. We’ve sent them to NASCAR races, we’ve even sent one little girl to Jamaica on a cruise and I wanted to take it a step further,” he said.

Believe it or not, Mr. Hildenbrandt has an extended history of pumpkin mobility. He won Wisconsin’s Nekoosa Great Pumpkin Race where he took around 10 minutes to paddle a 300-yard course.

He does admit the smell can be a troublesome element to his longer treks.

Lesson learned? We often think of charity in very linear ways. What’s something unusual you can do today to help your fellow human? Or animal? Or environment?

Not your average Cinderella!

Send us your positive news or comments!