Nick Venetucci
Encyclopedia
Dominico T. "Nick" Venetucci (1911–2004), was rancher and farmer in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Venetucci, also known as "The Pumpkin Man" for his annual giveaways of thousands of free pumpkin
s to area youth, gained national recognition in a 1985 article in The Reader's Digest magazine. Venetucci served between 30,000 and 50,000 young people a year with his annual philanthropy
and is estimated to have donated over a million pumpkins to Colorado children over the course of his life.
. He was one of seven children of Nicholas and Marguerita Venetucci, immigrants from Italy
. His father worked as a coal miner, with the family slowly saving enough money to purchase a small farm in 1936.
Venetucci worked for his family orchard and was a caddy at the Patty Jewett and Broadmoor golf courses.
In 1933, at the age of 22, Venetucci began a baseball
career in the New York Yankees
organization. As a catcher he was moved from Class D to Class A in the minor leagues. Venetucci's career was interrupted when his family bought the farm in Security, Colorado, and Venetucci went home to work on the family farm.
In 1942, 800 acres (3.2 km²) of the Venetucci farm were sold to the U.S. Army for $10 an acre to assist in the establishment of Camp Carson. Only 210 acre (0.8498406 km²) were left in the family's hands after the sale.
Venetucci married his wife, Bambi, in 1984, following a courtship of 27 years.
Over the years, Venetucci won many awards at the Colorado State Fair
for his farm products.
In 1950s Venetucci became known as "The Pumpkin Man" as he received national recognition for his benevolence. "The Pumpkin Man's" fame went national in 1985 with an article in The Readers Digest. He was also a subject of Charles Kuralt's
1985 book, On the Road with Charles Kuralt.
Venetucci's annual pumpkin giveaways started two weeks before Halloween
. Teachers from area schools arranged pumpkin-gathering field trips to the Venetucci farm, with between 30,000 and 50,000 children participating in a typical year. Venetucci was on hand for the festivities until his final years, aided in the task by 10 to 12 local volunteers each day.
In 2002 there were no pumpkins on the Venetucci farm for the first time in 66 years, as drought conditions kept the 91 year old Nick Venetucci from planting. "I can't control the weather," Venetucci lamented. "With the drought, there was no way I could grow pumpkins. The ground was so hard I couldn't get a plow in it. It was so hot, even if I had planted, the pumpkins would have burned up."
In 2003, Venetucci and his wife Bambi contacted the Pikes Peak Community Foundation and arranged for the philanthropic
group to take over the farm, leasing it to the organization for 99 years. The foundation began to plant the farm again, growing corn and pumpkins, and relaunching the area's beloved pumpkin giveaway. Efforts have been made to grant the Venetucci farm a special conservation easement
to ensure the survival of the pumpkin giveaway into the future.
on September 7, 2004. He was 93 years old at the time of his death.
Venetucci is memorialized with a statue in Colorado Springs on the site of the local Pioneer Museum. The work is installed in a large flower bed in which pumpkin plants are grown each year. The $100,000 statue was funded by millions of pennies collected for the project by area schoolchildren.
Venetucci is also the namesake of one of the Colorado Springs' elementary school
s and is honored by the Bristol Brewing Company
with its "Venetucci Pumpkin Ale."
In 2006, the Pikes Peak Community Foundation began hosting the annual "Great Venetucci Pumpkin Festival and 5K Run" on the site of the 200 acre (0.809372 km²) Venetucci farm.
There is a Venetucci Boulevard located on the south side of Colorado Springs by the World Arena.
Pumpkin
A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America...
s to area youth, gained national recognition in a 1985 article in The Reader's Digest magazine. Venetucci served between 30,000 and 50,000 young people a year with his annual philanthropy
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
and is estimated to have donated over a million pumpkins to Colorado children over the course of his life.
Early years
Dominico Venetucci, known to his friends as "Nick," was born July 23, 1911 in the community of Papetown, near Colorado Springs, ColoradoColorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
. He was one of seven children of Nicholas and Marguerita Venetucci, immigrants from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. His father worked as a coal miner, with the family slowly saving enough money to purchase a small farm in 1936.
Venetucci worked for his family orchard and was a caddy at the Patty Jewett and Broadmoor golf courses.
In 1933, at the age of 22, Venetucci began a baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
career in the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
organization. As a catcher he was moved from Class D to Class A in the minor leagues. Venetucci's career was interrupted when his family bought the farm in Security, Colorado, and Venetucci went home to work on the family farm.
In 1942, 800 acres (3.2 km²) of the Venetucci farm were sold to the U.S. Army for $10 an acre to assist in the establishment of Camp Carson. Only 210 acre (0.8498406 km²) were left in the family's hands after the sale.
Venetucci married his wife, Bambi, in 1984, following a courtship of 27 years.
"The Pumpkin Man"
The Venetucci pumpkin giveaways began in the 1950s. One day, Venetucci recalled, he was driving with a load of pumpkins and he just began stopping and giving away pumpkins to every child he saw. Later, children began stopping by his patch and receiving a free pumpkin on the site and a tradition was born. In all it is reckoned that more than 1 million pumpkins were given away by the Venetucci farm over half a century of Halloweens.Over the years, Venetucci won many awards at the Colorado State Fair
Colorado State Fair
Colorado State Fair is a event held annually in Pueblo, Colorado. The Fair has been a traditional since October 9, 1872. The fair was originally held by the Southern Colorado Agricultural and Industrial Association and received no cash assistance from the community or the State. It was incorporated...
for his farm products.
In 1950s Venetucci became known as "The Pumpkin Man" as he received national recognition for his benevolence. "The Pumpkin Man's" fame went national in 1985 with an article in The Readers Digest. He was also a subject of Charles Kuralt's
Charles Kuralt
Charles Kuralt was an American journalist. He was most widely known for his long career with CBS, first for his "On the Road" segments on The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, and later as the first anchor of CBS News Sunday Morning, a position he held for fifteen years.Kuralt's "On the Road"...
1985 book, On the Road with Charles Kuralt.
Venetucci's annual pumpkin giveaways started two weeks before Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
. Teachers from area schools arranged pumpkin-gathering field trips to the Venetucci farm, with between 30,000 and 50,000 children participating in a typical year. Venetucci was on hand for the festivities until his final years, aided in the task by 10 to 12 local volunteers each day.
In 2002 there were no pumpkins on the Venetucci farm for the first time in 66 years, as drought conditions kept the 91 year old Nick Venetucci from planting. "I can't control the weather," Venetucci lamented. "With the drought, there was no way I could grow pumpkins. The ground was so hard I couldn't get a plow in it. It was so hot, even if I had planted, the pumpkins would have burned up."
In 2003, Venetucci and his wife Bambi contacted the Pikes Peak Community Foundation and arranged for the philanthropic
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
group to take over the farm, leasing it to the organization for 99 years. The foundation began to plant the farm again, growing corn and pumpkins, and relaunching the area's beloved pumpkin giveaway. Efforts have been made to grant the Venetucci farm a special conservation easement
Easement
An easement is a certain right to use the real property of another without possessing it.Easements are helpful for providing pathways across two or more pieces of property or allowing an individual to fish in a privately owned pond...
to ensure the survival of the pumpkin giveaway into the future.
Death and legacy
Nick Venetucci died of a strokeStroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
on September 7, 2004. He was 93 years old at the time of his death.
Venetucci is memorialized with a statue in Colorado Springs on the site of the local Pioneer Museum. The work is installed in a large flower bed in which pumpkin plants are grown each year. The $100,000 statue was funded by millions of pennies collected for the project by area schoolchildren.
Venetucci is also the namesake of one of the Colorado Springs' elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s and is honored by the Bristol Brewing Company
Bristol Brewing Company
Bristol Brewing Company is an American brewery founded in 1994 by Mike Bristol in Colorado Springs, Colorado.-Brief details:Mike Bristol has stated that his mission is to "make beer that brings three things to mind: quality, purity, and sanity".-Beers:...
with its "Venetucci Pumpkin Ale."
In 2006, the Pikes Peak Community Foundation began hosting the annual "Great Venetucci Pumpkin Festival and 5K Run" on the site of the 200 acre (0.809372 km²) Venetucci farm.
There is a Venetucci Boulevard located on the south side of Colorado Springs by the World Arena.
External links
- Venetucci Farm official website.
- "Carving the Pumpkin Man: Statue of Nick Venetucci takes shape in Darpino’s Manitou Studio," Darpino Press, darpinostudiogallery.com/ Retrieved August 28, 2010.
- "Photo Tour of Community Events in Colorado Springs: Pumpkin Picking," hellocoloradosprings.com/ Retrieved August 28, 2010.
- Dominic Venetucci memorial, findagrave.com/ Retrieved August 28, 2010.
- Bristol Venetucci Ale Pumpkin Picking, YouTube video. Retrieved August 28, 2010. Television news story on harvesting pumpkins for Bristol Brewing's "Venetucci Pumpkin Ale."