Stevenson High aiming for new world record
Those wacky do-gooders at Stevenson High School are at it again, raising money for charity through their annual Spirit Fest while simultaneously trying to get into the Guinness Book of World Records with a kooky stunt.
The sixth annual Spirt Fest is set for Saturday, Sept. 12. This year's record attempt will be for the largest group in a water balloon toss.
"Obviously, we try to make a big splash for charity every year," Stevenson High spokesman Jim Conrey said.
Previous Spirt Fests have included attempts at the world's largest glow stick design, the biggest salsa dance and the most people popping Bubble Wrap in one place.
Last year, students, staffers and community members gathered to create what they hoped would be the largest chain of high-fives.
The school's National Honor Society executive board comes up with the record attempt each year.
"The sillier, the better," said Brett Erdmann, Stevenson's community service coordinator.
The school has set an official Guinness record only once. For the first Spirit Fest in 2010, 525 people came together for the world's largest robot dance.
"Many of the others broke records as they were published at the time, but before the paperwork had been approved by Guinness, another record had been set," Erdmann said.
Spirit Fest typically raises between $20,000 and $25,000 for a charity, with a different recipient chosen each year, Erdmann said. This time, proceeds will benefit the Hydrocephalus Foundation, a group that's working to find a cure for a condition marked by an excessive accumulation of fluid within the brain.
The Stevenson Foundation's Kids in Need Fund also will receive a portion of donations.
Spirit Fest will run from 5 to 9 p.m. at the school, 1 Stevenson Drive. Activities will include a dunk tank, a human foosball game, raffles, a 5-kilometer walk, musical performances and a fireworks show at the end of the night.
But for most people, the water balloon toss will be the big draw. It's scheduled for 8 p.m. on the running track around the Stevenson football field.
According to the folks at Guinness, the current water-balloon toss record was set by Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Massachusetts in 2014. The event drew 902 participants.
Erdmann expects between 1,000 and 1,500 balloons to sail through the air at Stevenson High.
"People like to be part of something bigger than themselves," he said. "A world record attempt gives people the chance to do something that's never been done before. That really captures the imagination."
To register for the balloon toss, go to d125.org and click on the Spirit Fest logo. A minimum donation of $10 is requested.