{
  "id": 16680905,
  "title": "Winnipegger raises money for CancerCare Manitoba with giant jack-o’-lanterns",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/27/winnipegger-raises-money-for-cancercare-manitoba-with-giant-jack-o",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-27T00:35:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Global News",
    "slug": "global-news",
    "url": "https://globalnews.ca/news/12121876/winnipegger-raises-money-for-cancercare-manitoba-with-giant-jack-o-lanterns/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Chris Okell, a resident of Winnipeg, has been raising funds for CancerCare Manitoba through an annual tradition of carving enormous jack-o'-lanterns on his property. The pumpkins, each weighing over 1,000 pounds, were carved in honor of Chris' mother, Marietta Okell, who passed away in 2010 from pancreatic cancer. Marietta had asked Chris to continue this tradition in her memory, promising to carve pumpkins for the children every year. Chris has adhered to this promise for several years while simultaneously seeking to raise funds to aid in the search for a cure for cancer. \"I’m going to keep going for as long as I can and continue to raise money for anybody who needs this, because I lost three people this year alone,\" Chris stated. \"Is there a cure? I hope so, and if there is, let it free. Let people stop suffering.\" Donations can be made online through CancerCare Manitoba or in person at 39 Baisinger Dr. Interested individuals can also support the cause by adding Global News as a Preferred Source on Google to receive updates on this story and others.",
  "summary": "Chris Okell carves out heavyweight pumpkins in honour of his mom who loved Halloween — a promise he's upheld every year while trying to raise money for cancer.",
  "key_points": [
    "Chris Okell carves giant pumpkins to raise funds for CancerCare Manitoba.",
    "Each 1,000+ pound pumpkin honors his mother, Marietta, who died from pancreatic cancer.",
    "Chris continues tradition to aid cancer research and cure, honoring Marietta's promise."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Transforming a personal memorial into a recurring community fundraiser turns a private family tradition into a consistent source of financial support for cancer research and patient care.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}