Friday, September 9th, 2022
Annual maze is fun, a little corny
Event raises funds to fight cancer
By Leslie Gartrell
Photo by Ryan Snyder/The Daily Standard
The Mercer County Cancer Corn Maze returns noon-7 p.m. tomorrow, Sunday and Sept. 17-18 at Dave Pinno's farm in Coldwater.
COLDWATER - From a bird's-eye view, it looks as if otherworldly visitors have left a message in Dave Pinno's cornfield.
Though there is indeed a message in the field, it's one of human hope by human design.
The public will again have the chance to make their way through a labyrinth fashioned from corn stalks, all for a good cause. The Mercer County Cancer Corn Maze returns noon-7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and Sept. 17-18.
Pinno, chief of the Coldwater Fire Department, said this is the sixth year the family-friendly fall event has been held at his farm, located at 3864 State Route 119. It is a half-mile west of Coldwater on the south side of the road.
The event, sponsored by the Coldwater Knights of Columbus, is $3 per person. All proceeds go to the Cancer Association of Mercer County. Last year, the event raised more than $20,000 for the cancer association, he said.
The event touts a petting zoo, a 9-hole putt putt golf course made by Pinno, pumpkin painting, barrel train rides, rubber duck races and a corn box, similar to a sand box but instead filled with dry corn.
People can also purchase pumpkins, gourds and mums as well as food at the event.
However, the star attraction is the corn maze. This year's theme is courage. The word "courage" is incorporated into in the maze as well as a cancer ribbon and three crop circles, just for something different, he said.
Pinno said he started the corn maze after he survived stage four kidney cancer. The Cancer Association of Mercer County was instrumental in his recovery, helping cover the family's mileage to and from the hospital in Columbus, he said.
The lifelong farmer said he dedicates four acres to the corn maze, which he plants at the same time as the rest of his acreage.
"Once it's knee high, we go in with a tiller and we take tape measurers and twine string and map it out and till up all the rows," he said. "We usually take one row out and then we'll go in there and pass through them and… take the leaves off between the rows, so it opens the rows up wider. It's a lot of chopping by hand."
Pinno said the event thrives thanks to the 200 volunteers who help set up tents, volunteer for the petting zoo, sell mums and more.
Correction:
The Mercer County Cancer Corn Maze is located at 3864 State Route 219 on a farm owned by Dave Penno. The error was due to reporting.
