Turning Pointe Autism Foundation celebrates 10th annual pumpkin racing and autism awareness

On October 24, Rotary Hill hosted families with autistic children and adults racing pumpkins side by side — a fall activity that’s been happening for the last 10 years.

Turning Pointe Autism Foundation’s annual pumpkin race is a community event that serves as a fundraising opportunity, where autistic adults over 22 years old work for 30 minutes to an hour a day assembling race kits with two axles and four skateboard wheels. Hundreds of boxes are then shipped to 28 states.

“Pumpkin racing is kind of becoming the new fall craze. So there’s races in other states, but we host the one here in Naperville as a way to thank the community for supporting us and our students all year,” the foundation’s executive director Carrie Provenzale told Naper Today.

California resident and ex Pixar employee Carl Rogers came up with pumpkin racing. His birthday also happens to be on Halloween, according to Provenzale.

“He strapped a pumpkin to his skateboard and started doing races, but it really did start because he had a friend with autism who then he knew could pack the kits. At the heart of it was to employ adults.”

Over 100 people registered for the Naperville race along with entering in a raffle to win a 2026 Ford Bronco and participate in a Halloween costume contest by age group.

Turning Pointe Foundation just celebrated its 19th birthday, being founded by Kim and Randy Wolf. They attended the event proudly, explaining their inspiration for starting up the foundation: their now 29 year old son.

“They were able to get some specialists from around the country and Canada to really create a specialized program for Jack when he was just 2,” Provenzale said.

When the Wolfs found out Jack’s care was working for his nonverbal autism, they looked around to see what other families were doing while living in Manhattan Beach before moving to Naperville.

In high school, Jack began assembling pumpkin racing kits and he continues to love putting them together.

“He loves painting it and decorating it. It’s so nice to enjoy it and have fun and be part of the community,” Kim Wolf said.

The Wolfs decided they needed to start a program in their backyard. Then in a little campus and now on Ogden Avenue, serving 130 families annually.

“We do first responder training, so we’re training police, fire, and the sheriff’s department on the Autism crisis response, which is a really important part of our outreach,” Provenzale said.

Bolingbrook resident Patrick Bland and his 18 year old son Aidan Bland have been attending the foundation’s pumpkin race for 10 years, around the same amount of time Aidan has been enrolled in their therapeutic day school.

“He went from a public school program where he was just in class. They didn’t really have a lot of separation or anything good for him there. So here, we actually see him using his talking device a lot more,” Bland said.

Bland has noticed his son picking up more self care habits such as organizing and cleaning on his own. His son is described as Level 3 nonverbal.

Bland’s firstborn daughter, who is now 27, is high functioning autistic, so the family has been part of the autism world for at least 25 years now.

“Back then they gave you a pamphlet. On the way home we cried, but then we got home and we said ‘okay, now what?’” Bland said.

The Blands decided they wanted to do everything they could for their daughter and son.

“We’ve been in situations where people in public have literally walked up to us and said, why do you have to bring that here? Oh, wow. And so you get that two sides, but at the same time, we will also get people who will come up, say it to us, just put their hands on us, pat us on their back and say, he’s loved and you are loved.”

The foundation is currently piloting open play, which involves a social group hangout in Naperville, Schaumburg, and Aurora. Some employment program graduates have community employment at grocery stores like Walgreens, the state attorney office, and local libraries.

The winning pumpkins of the day were placed in true Halloween fashion – Kitty Playhouse in 1st, FrankenWitch in 2nd, and Spooky came in 3rd.