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One-of-a-kind pumpkins. Local artisanal vendors. Christmas card photo-taking opportunities. Hope Harvest may sound like a typical autumnal celebration, but it’s not. At this festival, every dollar spent goes directly to San Benito families fighting cancer.
The fest’s volunteers are “primarily locals,” Hope Harvest coordinator Tami Erickson said. “It’s primarily the farming industry and they are willing to generously donate because it’s all for San Benito County residents.”
Now in its 15th year, the two-day festival will take place on Sept. 26-27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at San Benito County Historical Park. All proceeds go to the Hope Harvest Cancer Fund.
“There’s just all these expenses that come along with a cancer diagnosis,” co-founder of Hope Harvest Cancer Fund Cathy Alameda said.
Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, Alameda began donating funds from her and her husband’s pumpkin patch to the American Cancer Society. But she recognized the unique challenges of battling cancer in San Benito County, where most residents need to travel outside the county to receive treatment. She began the Hope Harvest Fund so money raised to fight cancer could stay local.
The fund provides grants of up to $10,000 to support families with cancer. These grants “help with the things that people don’t think about,” Alameda said.
The fund provides support for necessities like gas, groceries and electric bills alongside other expenses that come with a cancer diagnosis. The only requirements for grant recipients are residence in San Benito County and being actively under the care of a doctor for cancer.
“The support of the community is just so heartwarming and I can’t get over how generous people are in our community and how they’re willing to donate their time,” Alameda said.
The festival has around 60 volunteers each day of the event, and all the products available have been donated by local farmers.
The Hope Harvest Fund also provides support to the families of children battling cancer.
“Childhood cancer means a parent has to stop working to care for that child, to take them to treatments,” Alameda said. “It’s a burden not only on the person that’s been diagnosed with cancer, but also the family to pick up what’s been happening and make sure that the household still runs.”
According to Erickson, the festival’s one-of-a-kind pumpkins are among their big draws. They are grown at the pumpkin patch owned by Alameda and her husband, Tony Alameda.
“These are not pumpkins you’re going to get in any mass-produced high-production store,” Erickson said. “So that is a lot of the reason that our customers come back every year. They want those very unique specialty pumpkins.”
The festival outgrew its original location at the Ferry Morris Seed Company and continues to transform each year. According to Erickson, the team plans the festival with both fundraising and the attendee experience in mind. This time around, the festival will be expanding its children’s zone and featuring more live music.
It’s also a place for newcomers to San Benito County, Erickson said, so new residents “can celebrate their new home and see the history and see why [residents] are so passionate about this area.”
The Hope Harvest Fund works in collaboration with the Community Foundation of San Benito County. The partnership streamlines the grant process for the Hope Harvest Fund. People can apply for grants or donate directly to the fund through the Community Foundation.
“It’s neighbors supporting neighbors,” Alameda said.
The BenitoLink Internship Program is a paid, skill-building program that prepares local youth for a professional career. This program is supported by Monterey Peninsula Foundation AT&T Golf Tour and Taylor Farms.
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