SEBAGO – Last Saturday’s second Octoberfest and Community Coin Challenge, which benefits the region’s 10 food pantries, has raked in just shy of $20,000, with money still coming in, said Aimee Senatore, Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce executive director, on Wednesday.

Octoberfest, which caps a month-long Community Coin Challenge organized by the chamber to help feed local families, collected a total of $21,000 last year, said Sheri Huff, a longtime chamber member and lead organizer of the event. She estimated the amount raised last year was able to feed 1,200 families for 60 days.

While this year’s goal was to raise $40,000 for the pantries, nearly doubling last year’s total, Huff said she appreciated everyone’s participation at the fest on Saturday.

She estimated that about 3,500 people attended this year’s Octoberfest in the parking lot of Buck’s Naked BBQ off of Route 302 in Windham, where attendees enjoyed pumpkin painting, music and dancing, hayrides and more.

“It went well, and the attendance was great,” Huff said of the event. “We didn’t get as much publicity this year, but we were happy with the money that came in and how many people it is going to help.

On Wednesday, Huff said she anticipates the chamber collecting 20 more coin jars by the end of the month.

“We still keep collecting for two more weeks, because we don’t disburse the money [to food pantries] until the middle of November,” she said.

Because Octoberfest fell on a holiday weekend, Huff said, the chamber wanted to give people more time to fill up their jars.

The event, which was condensed into three hours, compared with last year’s seven-hour Octoberfest, “was just as busy as last year,” said Senatore, “which is something to be proud of. Participation from the vendors was fantastic.”

“Are we going to make our $40,000 goal? No,” Senatore said, “but we would be absolutely thrilled with $21,000. I am also encouraged at the number of other local organizations that have created initiatives to raise funds for the food pantries. I’d like to believe that the Coin Challenge and the Octoberfest Family Fun Day has inspired others to join in on the effort to help those less fortunate and help us rally as a region.”

As of Sept. 5, the chamber had managed to raise $10,000 toward its goal. A kick-off party for the coin challenge, hosted by Windham Weaponry on Aug. 14, attended by more than 120 people, raised $8,000 alone, Huff said.

In coming years, Huff said, the chamber hopes to get more businesses involved in the coin challenge, leading up to the celebration. This year, 35 businesses in the Lakes Region participated, she said.

“Personally, I’d like to thank the communities for coming together and raising all the money to help families in need within our 10 communities,” Huff said. “I also want to thank the businesses for participating, and for making it such a fun, family day.”

Local insurance agent Tricia Zwirner has two collection jars for Aimee Senatore, executive director of the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce, as the second annual Windham Octoberfest drew to a close Saturday afternoon.Cody Taylor of Windham barely survived his apple-bobbing effort, staying down long and coming up quick, but without the prize, at the Key Bank table.Brooklyn Humiston keeps an inquisitive eye on big brother Alonzo as he decorates a pumpkin gourd at the Octagon Cleaning and Restoration table.Molly Plati of Windham shows off her colorful butterfly face paint at the Clipper Barbershop table.Sarah Smyth of Windham enjoys a free bag of cotton candy during Octoberfest.Nicholas Davenport of Windham prepares a shot at the bean bag game sponsored by Mechanics Savings Bank.Michael Bedard contemplates the artwork of face painter Sandra Chick at the Joyful Noise Daycare table.