Some folks shy away from eating fruit that's fallen to the ground for food safety reasons. However, recently fallen fruit are sure-fired ripened fruit. Frankly, in my youth, I frequently picked-up and ate fruit off the ground. But, that was before the germ theory of disease reached into the hollows of my native state. Keep in mind that a lot of other animals also enjoy eating pawpaws and they may leave behind the end results.
The pawpaw tasting included a short introduction to the various ways to eat a pawpaw starting with washing and peeling the fruit. Some eat the peel and all, but I find the peel interferes with enjoying the custard-like flesh. It's also a good idea to show the newly initiated the large potentially tooth-chipping seeds by slicing into the fruit.