Volunteers are being sought to take part in an exciting Guinness World Records attempt for the Longest Banana Split, at Innisfail this Saturday (March 25).
The Australian Banana Growers’ Council has thrown its support behind the massive feat which will be attempted during the annual Feast of the Senses festival at Callendar Park.
ABGC director and event organiser, Jade Buchanan of LMB Farms said the logistics of the world record were impressive. “We will use 40,000 bananas, 2,500 litres of ice cream and 2,000 litres of topping and cream, lots and lots of cream!” Ms Buchanan said.
“And best of all, almost all of the produce and ingredients have been sourced or donated locally,” she said.
The current world record for the Longest Banana Split is held by the town of Selinsgrove, in Pennsylvania, USA, set in 1988. “The current record is 7.67km. Our aim is to make 8km,” Ms Buchanan said.
But to make the attempt possible organisers are looking for 400 volunteers to act as ‘runners’ on the day, helping to distribute all the ingredients to 8000 people that will be involved in putting the giant banana split together.
“The volunteers will have to be fit enough to carry a 15 Kg banana box,” Ms Buchanan said.
“They will be involved in distributing the bananas, the ice-cream and the toppings to the people that will be constructing the banana split across Callendar Park.”
“If the record attempt is successful, every person involved, including the ‘runners’ will receive an official certificate acknowledging that they were part of a Guiness World Records attempt.”
“All volunteers on the day will also receive a limited edition hat.”
The split will be constructed in 8,200 cardboard towers built by Melbourne-based cardboard artists Boxwars. Over recent weeks, school children from across the Cassowary Coast have decorated the boxes with their own artwork.
“Two thousand kids from Innisfail to Cardwell have been decorating these ‘castles’ that will be used to make the foundation of the split,” Ms Buchanan said.
“This really has been a community event and we would encourage as many community members as possible to register today to be a part of this once in a lifetime event.”
Volunteer ‘runners’ will start at 6am and finish when the record attempt is completed. The day will include laying out the cardboard towers across Callendar Park, ushering ticket holders once the gates open and then distributing banana split ingredients.
For more information:
Jade Buchanan
Tel: +61 0427 042 391
Sonia Campbell
Mob: +61 0428 038 330