AMANDA, Ohio — As the annual Circleville Pumpkin Show prepares to welcome an estimated 400,000 visitors to Pickaway County, three staff members from Amanda-Clearcreek Local Schools are being recognized for giving back to the community through nearly 60 combined years of volunteer service.
Bryan Sowers, district maintenance staff; Leslie Hatfield, an intervention teacher at Amanda-Clearcreek High School; and Calee Sowers, a second-grade teacher at Amanda-Clearcreek Primary, serve as dedicated “Orange Jackets”—the title given to official Circleville Pumpkin Show volunteers who manage event logistics, parades, and competitions.
District leadership praised the trio on Monday for demonstrating the value of community service to students.
“The Amanda-Clearcreek community is known for its community involvement and volunteerism, which is an important life skill that we incorporate into our district on a regular basis. Our staff, parents and community lead our students by example, and Leslie, Bryan and Calee are excellent examples of the importance of being involved in the community and working together to pull off a huge project for both locals and traveling attendees to enjoy.”
— Dr. Timothy Edwards, Superintendent of Amanda-Clearcreek Local Schools
Decades of Behind-the-Scenes Dedication
Each staff member contributes year-round effort to ensure the four-day festival runs smoothly:
- Leslie Hatfield (24 Years of Service): Serves on the parade committee, overseeing year-round planning, assembly, and logistics for all eight feature parades. Her duties involve managing entries ranging from marching bands and visiting festival queens to baby contest entrants, animals, and floats.
- Bryan Sowers (20+ Years of Service): Assists with core agricultural operations, including building the giant pumpkin pyramid and coordinating weigh-in logistics and pumpkin transportation for parades. He also serves on the Pumpkin Show Queen’s Committee.
- Calee Sowers (15 Years of Service): Started volunteering in middle school alongside her father, Rob Febes, and joined officially in 2012. As a member of the Queen’s Committee, she works with family members to chaperone queens to events across Ohio, organize contestant meetings, arrange prize donations with local businesses, and manage pageant decorations.
The Circleville Pumpkin Show relies on its roster of Orange Jacket volunteers to execute the event, which draws attendees from across the country and around the globe.
