Kappa Kappa Gamma and Delta Tau Delta held their second annual pumpkin-carving Tuesday night in the basement of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

The two houses held the event in order to meet the new members of both houses and to donate the jack-o’-lanterns to children.

“It’s just a really good time,” said Craig Demmel, president of Delta Tau Delta. “It’s a fun way to get to know one another and to give something to the community.”

More than a dozen pumpkins were carved by teams of house members who had a fun time, kicking back in the basement listening to the radio and poking fun at one another.

Some teams used home-drawn patterns, some used store-bought pictures and some carved freehand. One pumpkin even had a happy face with its tongue sticking out.

The houses started the pumpkin carving get-together last year, deciding it would be something fun and different, Demmel, junior in mechanical engineering said. It stemmed from there into something both houses wanted to do annually.

The carved pumpkins are going to be donated to a kindergarten class at Sawyer Elementary School, 4316 Ontario St., as they were supposed to be last year. Unfortunately, Demmel said, the pumpkins never made it to their destination last year.

“We left the pumpkins outside and in the morning, they were smashed,” Demmel said. “So hopefully it will work out better this year.”

The event started at 7:30 p.m. at the Kappa Kappa Gamma house, 120 Lynn Ave. Social Chair Kate Deaver said the event was a good way to get to know new members of both houses and to be creative and have a good time.

“We are supplying the place and the guys are supplying the pumpkins,” said Deaver, junior in elementary education. “A lot of the pumpkins are going to charity, some are staying here with us, and some are going home with the Delts.”

Deaver said not many fraternities or sororities have activities like this. She has heard of fraternities carving pumpkins and then giving them to a sorority and serenading the girls for Halloween, but nothing organized.

Courtney Blomgren, junior in child and family services and a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, said last year was a great time and she was looking forward to the event again this year.

“It’s a good excuse for us to get together and to celebrate Halloween,” said Blomgren. “And the pumpkins go to a good cause, so that’s something to be proud of.”

— Lisa Lynch contributed to this story