During the recent Fallcoming and Family Weekend, the Hamilton Microfinance Group hosted its third annual “Guess the Weight: Giant Pumpkin Challenge.” After successfully raising over $1000 in 2014 and attracting the attention of local news crews, the group decided to make the Giant Pumpkin Challenge a tradition along Martin’s Way. For $1, people could guess the weight of the giant pumpkin and watermelon. They weighed 1,235 pounds and 139.5 pounds, respectively.
The prizes included a 32" flat screen TV, $50 Nola's gift card, or $50 worth of Hamilton swag. Congratulations to the respective winners: Sam Robinson ’20, Sarah Ostrow ’18, and David Dacres ’18. Despite the rainy weather, Microfinance raised over $400 in a few hours to issue small business loans to local entrepreneurs.
The Hamilton Microfinance Group is a student-run, micro-lending organization that seeks to increase economic growth and opportunity in the Greater Utica area by providing small business loans to individuals who might not qualify for a traditional bank loan. Through the use of loans rather than grants, this organization helps entrepreneurs establish their own credit histories and borrowing power. To learn more, please contact micro@hamilton.edu.
