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LYNCHBURG PARKS AND RECREATION GOES AFTER GUINNESS WORLD RECORD

Join Lynchburg Parks and Recreation in an official Guinness World Record attempt for the World’s Largest Tree Hug! The attempt for the record title will take place on Saturday, October 8, 2016, from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at Peaks View Park, 170 Ivy Creek Lane, and calls for over 1,500 tree-hugging participants to help break the record.

Participants of all ages are invited to join in the Guinness World Record attempt. It is strongly encouraged for participants to pre-register. A link to the registration can be found at www.PleaseDoHugTheTrees.com. Participants may also drop-in for registration on the day of the event. Children ages five and under do not need to be registered to attend. Please note: Per Guinness World Record regulations, participants must stand for the attempt.

Registration and pre-registered participant check-in will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the Ardmore Entrance of Peaks View Park. A kick-off ceremony will be held at 11:30 a.m. and the attempt for the record title will take place  at various locations around Peaks View Park at 12:30 p.m. The actual record title attempt will only last 60 seconds. After successfully completing the attempt, an after party will be held from 12:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. featuring live music, food vendors, free programs, activities, and games, and local area businesses and organizations.

Vendors interested in participating in the after party are encouraged to visit www.PleaseDoHugTheTrees.com/vendors/ or contact Brittany Griffith, Marketing and Development Coordinator, at (434) 455-5888 or Brittany.Griffith@lynchburgva.gov.

“The attempt for the World’s Largest Tree Hug record is a way to put our Please Do Hug the Trees campaign efforts into action and allows us to share our love for nature (and for the trees) with the community in a fun, engaging way,” said Lynchburg Parks and Recreation Director, Jennifer Jones.

“Conservation is one of the three pillars of Parks and Recreation, and considering the current lack of reverence for our environment, we believe it’s the role of Parks and Recreation Departments across the country to incite a grassroots effort to preserve the natural environment and speak for the trees. That’s what our Please Do Hug the Trees campaign is about. To kick-off the campaign, we decided we wanted to go after the Guinness World Record title and show the world what a real tree-hugging community looks like!”

Lynchburg Parks and Recreation’s Guinness World Record attempt is made possible by the support of the City of Lynchburg’s Communications and Marketing Department, Old City Cemetery & Arboretum, the James River Association, Opportunity Lynchburg, the Virginia Cooperative Extension, the Hill City Master Gardeners Association, and the City of Lynchburg’s Public Works Department. Other businesses and organizations interested in becoming a partner or sponsor should contact Brittany Griffith, Marketing and Development Coordinator, at (434) 455-5888 or Brittany.Griffith@lynchburgva.gov.

For more information, visit www.PleaseDoHugTheTrees.com, or call (434) 455-5858.