We are pleased to welcome you to the very select club of
Guinness World Records title holders.” That was the message delivered in a
letter to The Community House last week, confirming that last February’s
assembly of islanders and visitors doing The Sanibel Stoop at Bowman’s Beach
had been accepted as an official record.
The record attempt was staged by the Sanibel Community Association
(SCA), which operates The Community House, as part of celebration surrounding
the 75th anniversary of the Sanibel Shell Show & Fair. The Community House
has been the longtime home of the Sanibel Shell Show and Fair, which
was first hosted in the 1920s by Hallie “Granny” Matthews
in the lobby of The Matthews Hotel on the beach. Over the years, the Sanibel
Shell Show & Fair has grown to become one of the world’s most prominent
events in the shell collecting world.
The official tally of “stoopers” registered and confirmed
for the event was 478, although an additional 300+ unregistered participants
were also observed to be on hand. The record set was for the category of
Largest Treasure Hunt Game. To be counted officially a participant had to
identify themselves, sign
in, and participate in a treasure hunt for shells on the
beach. Official participants at the event received a commemorative T-shirt
sponsored by Congress Jewelers, and now that the record is official, The
Community House has plans to create a new t-shirt proclaiming Sanibel’s championship
status.
A diverse group of Island organizations and individuals
supported and assisted the effort, which was captured by news cameras and
succeeded in attracting significant national media attention. The Lee A diverse
group of Island organizations and individuals supported and assisted the
effort, which was captured by news cameras and succeeded in attracting
significant national media attention. The Lee to commemorate the event.
“We wanted to do something special to call attention to
the 75th Anniversary of the Shell Show & Fair, and to reinforce Sanibel’s
position as a special place for shelling,” said Marge Meek, Sanibel Community
Association President. “The Guinness Record attempt captured the idea that
hunting for shells can be a lot of fun, and there’s no better place than Sanibel
to do that.”
Island Sun (November 2, 2012)
Team Petel - Click
Here for our team website.
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