Skowhegan funeral home delivering pumpkins by gurney

"Between 5 and 7, it is a madhouse here."

That's how the manager of Smart and Edwards Funeral Home describes Halloween night.

They are known by many of the area kids as the "people that drop off the pumpkins."

It all started 20 years ago when the funeral director decided to give back to the community by providing over 300 pumpkins to all the local elementary schools.

"The first year or two, we weren't so sure, then they seemed to catch on. People are scared of funeral homes, and we don't want that. We want to try and demystify that a little bit."

The funeral home buys all the pumpkins from a farmer in Canaan who's associated with the Make-A-Wish foundation.

"We pay him for the pumpkins, and then he takes that money and gives it all to Make-A-Wish."

They deliver all the pumpkins to the schools for kids to decorate.

"There's like three schools that they all know what the level is to compete, so they come up with some great stuff."

"A lot of these kids don't do it at home, so this is their only opportunity to carve a pumpkin, to see a pumpkin, to touch a pumpkin."

"We are going to go back next Wednesday, and we'll collect all the pumpkins all decorated."

They will put the pumpkins on display for Halloween night where kids and their families come to find their pumpkin.

"They'll come and be pointing around, and they will find their pumpkin, and they are hoping it will be the grand prize winner."

"I am told when they first started doing this, only 35 kids showed up. Now, they expect over a thousand."

Cotton candy, popcorn, and of course candy is provided for everyone along with prizes for the best-decorated pumpkins.

"It's gotten to the point where I don't know how we would stop."