Students, food bank in Battlefords attempt world record mac and cheese box domino topple
Thousands of mac and cheese boxes that stood row-by-row at the Nationswest Field House in North Battleford, Sask., were toppled like dominoes in a world-record attempt.
The goal: shatter the record for the largest single-serve food-box domino topple. If all the collected boxes — about 12,500 — fall as according to the rules, students from Living Sky School Division will more than double the existing Guinness World Record of about 5,000.
Students began preparing the domino lines Thursday morning before the attempt was made in the afternoon.
In this timelapse, 12,500 boxes of mac and cheese topple in North Battleford, Sask., in pursuit of a world record. The goal is to break the record for the largest single-serving food box domino topple which currently sits at about 5,000.
It is still unclear whether Guinness will consider the attempt successful.
Either way, the Battlefords District Food & Resource Centre will receive all of the boxes of donated mac and cheese.
That could last about a year, according to Erin Katerynych, the Food & Resource Centre’s executive director.
“Whenever we put out a call, people answer it right away,” Katerynych told Stefani Langenegger, host of CBC’s The Morning Edition.
Katerynych said it was “wonderful” to have students help prepare for the event. She said there’s often a shortage of donations over the summertime until people donate their garden produce in the fall, and this would help fill the gap.
The record attempt started as a fun project from Dan Fox, a school liaison officer with the division. He’s also a board member for the Food & Resource Centre.
“I try to have my students be very involved in their community,” he said.
“It started off with that small kernel: let’s think of something new and fun and exciting we can do.”
Last year, one of Fox’s students suggested breaking a world record. He wasn’t sure how to go about that, but his walk through the food bank — and seeing its shelves looking lean — provided him an idea.
“Hunger in your community is not just a Christmas and Easter phenomenon and it’s year-round,” Fox said.
Fox said he contacted the Guinness World Record people and was told the world record would count if he managed to pull off the attempt. He gathered video of the preparation and the attemp and will submit it for officiating.
That inevitably led him to a call to the community for 5,500 boxes. The community provided them with nearly 7,000. Then Kraft Canada donated 5,500.
The Battlefords community helped gather more than 12,000 boxes of Kraft Dinner macaroni and cheese for a world record attempt where the boxes topple like dominoes.
The students also had to strategize. They also spent time practising at school to prepare for the big day.
“It’s kind of chaotic,” Grade 6 student Leah Jameson said, in between setting up boxes on a gymnasium floor. “But, it’s really fun.”
There’s one dish on the menu for dinner to celebrate, said Mya Michnik.
“If I win the Guinness World Record, I’m going to have to eat it,” the Grade 6 student said.
