Grand Forks Pumpkin Contest Promotes Cancer Screenings

The annual event raises awareness for the Women's Way program, which provides cancer screening services to local residents.

Updated on Oct. 15, 2026 in Cancer

Screen-print poster illustration of a decorated pumpkin on a wooden bench, representing a community health screening awareness campaign. — Grand Forks Public Health is utilizing its annual pumpkin decorating contest to increase community awareness for the Women's Way cancer screening program. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you believe local awareness contests are effective at encouraging residents to pursue preventative health screenings?

Grand Forks Public Health is hosting its sixth annual Paint the Patch Pink pumpkin decorating contest to raise awareness for breast cancer screening programs. The initiative encourages community participation through online photo submissions and public voting.

Why it matters

The event serves as an outreach tool for the Women's Way program, which provides essential cancer screening and diagnostic services. Increasing visibility for these resources helps ensure eligible residents in Grand Forks and surrounding areas can access preventive care.

Program records from the Women's Way unit indicate 435 women were served during the fiscal year ending June 29 across a five-county service area. While the program successfully reached this population, the exact impact of community awareness contests on screening volume remains under investigation.

The players

Grand Forks Public Health

A local agency that manages public health initiatives and provides health service outreach to residents.

Women's Way

A health program that provides cancer screening and diagnostic services to women in North Dakota.

All Seasons Garden Center

A local business serving as the display site for the pumpkin decorating entries.

The details

The Paint the Patch Pink contest facilitates community engagement by encouraging residents to decorate pumpkins and submit photos to Grand Forks Public Health. This outreach strategy aims to increase awareness for the Women's Way program, which specializes in cancer screenings and diagnostic services for residents in Grand Forks, Cavalier, Nelson, Walsh, and Griggs counties. Participants can currently view entries displayed at the All Seasons Garden Center located at 5101 S. Washington St.

October 25, 5 p.m.: Deadline for pumpkin photo submissions.
October 26, 8 a.m.: Public voting opens online.
October 29, 5 p.m.: Public voting closes.

Health Landscape

This event functions as a public awareness vehicle for the Women's Way cancer screening program. Such initiatives are intended to bridge the gap between clinical preventive services and the populations they are designed to reach.

Residents in Grand Forks and surrounding counties can use this event as a prompt to check their own eligibility for screenings through the Women's Way program. If you are due for a cancer screening, it is worth discussing your specific risk factors and testing options with your doctor.

The takeaway

Community awareness events can play a role in connecting residents to preventive health programs like Women's Way. If you are unsure of your current screening status, contact a local health provider to confirm if you are up to date on recommended screenings.