Gainesville First United Methodist Church kicked off its annual pumpkin sale on Sunday afternoon.

The church, on Thompson Bridge Road, will be selling pumpkins of all sizes, along with gourds and Indian corn, through Oct. 31. Whatever money is raised will go to the church's youth program.

"We raise funds to go to our youth mission trips every year," said David Burchett, the church's youth minister.

"For 16-plus years, that we know of, we have been doing the pumpkin sale," Burchett said.

The sale brings together the youth of the church as they work together to sell the pumpkins, make money for their upcoming mission trips and have fun at the same time.

"It's fun, and it's a good workout, " said Spenser Gruenenfelder, 17, a member of the church's youth group.

Members of the youth group lined up Sunday afternoon behind the truck that brought in the pumpkins, working together to get them unloaded and organized for the sale.

"The unloading is the most fun part of the sale," said Kate Cooley, 16, another member of the youth group.

The goal was to get the pumpkins unloaded faster than last year. Everyone in the youth group participated with excitement as they passed the pumpkins from the truck down the line.

"It's a lot of fun." Cooley said. "It uses a lot of teamwork."