From left, Alan McGrath, principal John Hazur, Olivia Yeager, London Green and Tom Martin get ready to roll their pumpkins at Butler Catholic School's pumpkin rolling contest on Thursday afternoon. William Pitts/Butler Eagle

Pumpkin fever rolled into Butler Catholic School on Thursday afternoon when the school held its annual pumpkin rolling competition.

Ten teams of students and faculty rolled their decorated pumpkins down a wooden board, one against another, to find out whose would travel the farthest.

According to school staff member Kathy Dudley, the contest formed during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since become a Butler Catholic tradition.

“We wanted to have something fun for the kids, and it was outdoors,” Dudley said. “It ties in with our school gardens, since we grow pumpkins here.”

The tournament featured nine teams, each representing one of the homerooms at BCS — kindergarten through eighth grade. Each classroom sent a representative to roll their pumpkin down, with the first one across the finish line winning the race.

Butler Catholic’s principal, John Hazur, entered the competition with his own pumpkin to ensure that the tournament had an even number of participants.

The finals came down to Hazur versus the fourth grade class, with the fourth graders prevailing. The class won both a trophy and a pizza party.

The fourth grade class of Butler Catholic School celebrates their victory in the pumpkin rolling contest on Thursday afternoon. William Pitts/Butler Eagle