LEWISTON – Painted pumpkins and freshly baked pumpkin cookies were delivered to Blake Street Towers by smiling children and Bates students on Oct. 27, as part of the 17th annual Make A Difference Day.

Make A Difference Day is the largest national day of helping others, a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors. This year’s effort was made possible by many community partners, including local businesses.

The pumpkins were painted by 25 kids at Lewiston Housing Authority’s Hillview Resource Center with guidance by Sissy Ventrone. Lots To Gardens volunteers made pumpkin cookies. The children and Bates students then delivered the pumpkins and cookies to the residents at Blake Street Towers, knocking on doors and presenting residents with a smiling pumpkin.

Projects have ranged from a countywide clean-up involving thousands of people to a mentoring program in which members of a sorority provided one-on-one support to 35 underprivileged children.

For more information about Make A Difference Day, check out makeadifferenceday.com.