District 26
When we heard that on the 16th October (World Food Day), the Milton Keynes Food Bank (MK CAN) was attempting to beat the World Record for the longest line of tinned food, Inner Wheel wanted to be part of this fantastic event.
The Guiness World Record was set by a group in Montreal (3.28km – 44,966 cans) and the aim was to beat this. The challenge was to take place in Campbell Park, Milton Keynes and local businesses and charities were asked to help by lining up 25metre lengths of canned food (350 tins) to form a continuous line.
Buckingham, Newport Pagnell and Wolverton, the three Inner Wheel clubs in and around Milton Keynes, each signed up for 25 metres. We then realised if District 26 signed up as well, this would give us 100metres in total – another 100 for 100! So other clubs joined in and helped. Our clubs began in earnest collecting cans-
MK Can -
On a dry, chilly but sunny morning we arrived armed with cans, flags and banners, together with the BBS who filmed the whole event.
Our patch was the circular path around the Arena (left), which measured 100 metres. When the signal was sounded, we laid our cans out, which gave us a circle, but better still a large Wheel of canned food! And we had enough left to write 100 for 100 in the centre of the circle.
Cans snaked all around the park and once the adjudicators had checked that they were all touching, proclaimed that the MK Food Bank were now the holders of the Guinness World Record. The total number of cans (yes they were counted!) was 102,447 and the length was over 7km!
Milton Keynes Food Bank now have 102,447 tins of food in their store (sadly though, this will only last about six months.) This goes to show that by pulling together anything can be achieved!
What a great day and what an achievement!
