By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – Although it was a difficult situation at the time, the first day of last year’s fall pumpkin patch at the First Presbyterian Church of Alabaster accidentally created a new tradition in the city.

The 18-wheeler, which was supposed to arrive at the church on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014, broke down and was unable to deliver pumpkins to the church until the following day.

Because church leaders had plenty of volunteers lined up to unload the pumpkins on Sunday, not Monday, they thought they would be struggling to unload the truck when it arrived.

They had no reason to worry.

“As soon as the truck arrived, people showed up from everywhere,” Rachel Blackmon, a member of the church’s outreach committee, said during a Sept. 22 interview.

On-hand to unload the nearly 3,000 pumpkins on a Monday night last year were the Thompson High School wrestling team, the THS Junior ROTC, local Girl Scouts, church members, volunteers from the Alabaster YMCA and plenty of Alabaster residents.

“It was amazing to amazing to see the excitement and realize how much fun everyone had working together,” Blackmon wrote in an email.

This year, the church is encouraging all individuals and organizations wishing to help unload to arrive at the church on Sept. 27 at 10:30 a.m., dressed for the unloading, for a church service, or at 1 p.m. when the truck arrives. All volunteers will receive sandwiches and refreshments from the church.

While the community involvement may be a relatively new tradition, the First Presbyterian Church’s pumpkin patch certainly isn’t. For the past 14 years, the church has held the pumpkin patch throughout October to help raise money for local charities.

When the last orange orb is sold at the end of the month, the church will tally the total and donate every cent raised to Safehouse of Shelby County and Shelby Emergency Assistance – Both nonprofits offering services to those in emergency situations.

After the pumpkins arrive on Sept. 27, the pumpkin patch will be open Mondays-Fridays from 10 a.m.-7 p.m., on Saturdays from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. and on Sundays from 1-7 p.m. through Oct. 31 or until the pumpkins are sold out.

The church is located at 8828 Alabama 119 slightly south of the Publix shopping center.