Sponsors, People Needed For World Record Attempt

By David Howell

Editor

WATER VALLEY – Work continues to stage the monumental effort to break a Guinness World Record for the Largest Watermelon Eating Contest as part of the 50th Watermelon Carnival activities. The contest comes at the end of the weekend lineup and starts at 7 p.m. on Saturday, August 3, at Crawford Sports Complex.

“Rain or shine,” reported Chamber member Tonya Eubanks, who is spearheading the effort with the help of a committee. Eubanks stressed that the biggest ingredient is people, as the Chamber’s goal is a minimum of 518 people in the contest to double the current world record of 259 contestants, set last July in Safety Harbor, Fla. And although the goal is 518, the Chamber is planning to set up tables to seat 1,000 people.

To help plan, the Chamber is asking people who plan to participate to sign up for the event by either stopping by the Chamber office on Main Street or signing up on online at the Chamber’s Guinness World Record attempt Facebook page. At presstime Tuesday, over 120 people have already committed to attend on the Facebook page. 

Although the event is a competition to see who can devour a set amount of melon fastest, the world record is actually for the number of contestants competing simultaneously in the contest.

“We welcome class reunions and families and we will try to place them together for the contest,” Eubanks also explained. 

Eubanks also said sponsors are needed for the event. For more information, contact the Chamber office at (662) 473-1122.