Punxsutawney Lutherans Welcome Groundhog Day Visitors

CHICAGO-(Business Wire)-January 29, 2009 - For years on Feb. 2, Bud Dunkel put on a tuxedo and top hat, headed to the outskirts of his Pennsylvania hamlet, then hoisted its most famous resident into the air for spectators waiting to hear a weather prediction.

Dunkel lives in Punxsutawney, home of Phil, the furry forecaster immortalized in the 1993 movie "Groundhog Day." According to town legend, if Phil sees his shadow Feb. 2, expect six more weeks of winter; if not, plan on an early spring.

"Phil is fun, but our faith is in Christ," said Dunkel, 78, past president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club and a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

Two area ELCA congregations — First English and Mount Zion — join to serve soup, sandwiches and sweets as the crowd returns from Gobbler's Knob, the hill where Phil emerges about 7:30 a.m.

"They're usually cold, tired and hungry by the time Phil finally comes out," said Pauline Means, 79, a member of First English Lutheran Church. "We're glad to feed them something warm."

Last year, 30,000 people descended on the town of 6,300 for Phil's prediction. A smaller crowd is expected this year because the gathering falls on a Monday, and just hours after the Pittsburgh Steelers play in Super Bowl XLIII.

Although small and struggling, the Lutheran congregations plan to give the money they make on food sales to charity. "Everybody works together to help the town," said Nancy Pifer, 70, a member of Mount Zion Lutheran Church.

Dunkel said handling Phil is harder than it looks. "He ripped and roughed up many of my tuxes," Dunkel said and laughed. "But I only went to the hospital a couple of times for bites and shots."

Groundhogs usually die after a few years. The Groundhog Club says Phil's been predicting winter's end with 100 percent accuracy for more than 120 years.

"Those prognosticators who question the science of all this are missing the point," said club officer Michael Johnston. "Phil's here to make people smile and provide a little escapism during the bleak mid-winter."

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