LAKE CITY, Fla. – Things are getting sticky at Eastside Elementary School in Columbia County.
The students will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest tape ball on Friday. The school is collecting duct tape until then, and the students need your help.
“I think it’s something fun that our students can be involved in. Give them a chance to be part of something that’s bigger. Something that can stay in the record books for a long long time hopefully," teacher Lauren Jenkins said.
The kids have collected over 4,000 rolls of tape so far, but more is needed.
The previous record for the world’s largest tape ball was set on May 6, 2011, in Louisville, Kentucky. The ball was made by the Portland Promise Center, a faith-based community development organization.
The ball weighed more than 2,000 pounds and had a circumference of 12 feet, 9 inches.
The tapes used in the attempt were duct tape, electrical tape, masking tape, gaffers tape, packing tape, foil tape and athletic tape.
Eastside Elementary put in its application in August to attempt the record and got approval in January. Since then collecting tape has been the school’s main mission.
“We don’t want to just break it a little. We want to crush it. So we can use all the tape that you can give us," paraprofessional Pamela Hartopp said.
No amount of duct tape donation is too big or too small. But getting the tape is just one part of the challenge.
"We have to video record it from start to finish with no lapse. So that's why we're attempting to do it in one day. We have to have witnesses not affiliated with the school. They have to be here and sign witness statements,” Hartopp said. “We have to measure the circumference measured by a licensed surveyor, and we have to have it weighed on a scale that's been certified."
The school will be accepting duct tape donations through its attempt Friday.