Casper Group Breaks Potluck World Record [GALLERY]

Upon arrival there was already every manner of hotdish and casserole on display. Salads, desserts and drinks, all ready to go.The planning took months, the execution just hours. Interfaith of Natrona County had come up with a unique way to create awareness and do some fundraising at the same time. To make a run at the world record of potlucks. February 26th was the date put on the calendar a number of months ago, the publicity was out, the portable message signs were creating phone calls and now the date had come.

Yesterday at the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center the doors opened at about 1:00 pm. There was a crowd albeit rather small. The volunteers were out in their white t-shirts expecting a rush of humanity that started slowly but built quickly. By 1:50 it was whispered that there were over 700 dishes already thru the door. Then at 2:20 it was announced, that according to the official tally, 861 dishes and 980 people had made their way into the ballrooms of the Parkway.

Now the real challenge. According to the Guinness Book of World Record rules, this gathering of people had to stay for 30 minutes, everyone had to have a bite to eat and even enjoy themselves a little. With entertainment by Anastasia’s Fault and Cory and The Crew, it was easy to do all three.  As an added incentive, a number of door prizes and raffle items were given out to keep the crowd close.

At 2:50 it was officially announced that the time period had been reached. Folks cheered, shook hands , clapped one another on the back and took time to thank organizers and volunteers alike. And as this was also a fundraiser for Interfaith, between sponsorships and free will donations, around $40,000 had been raised.

Congratulations to Interfaith on setting a goal and getting the community out to help them achieve it. And as long as the record keeping and the materials being submitted to Guinness hold up to the scrutiny of the organization, Casper will be home to a new record holder. I have a feeling this is not the last time we hear of big things from these folks.

Click here to see photos of the event.