Rider to attempt Guinness World Record for longest line of cranberries

Did you ever wish you could say you broke a world record? On Saturday, Nov. 8, students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of Rider University will have the chance to do just that when the University attempts to break the Guinness World Record for the Longest Line of Fruits with a giant string of cranberries.

The world record attempt, a highlight of Rider’s 150th anniversary celebration, will take place on the campus mall from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. during Family Weekend. An official Guinness World Records adjudicator will be present for the attempt and will certify whether or not Rider breaks the world record by early afternoon. Certification of the record and announcement will take place between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m.

The current Guinness World Record for the Longest Line of Fruits was set in Gabicce Mare, Italy, on Aug. 14 and consisted of 6,010 peaches. To break the record, Rider must string 6,011 cranberries, though the goal is to string substantially more than that.

Cranberries are significant to Rider’s history, as the University’s namesake, Andrew J. Rider, introduced the cranberry to the queen of England. She later nicknamed Rider “The Cranberry King of New Jersey.” President Rider owned more than 500 acres of cranberry bogs near Hammonton, N.J., and was considered a leading force in the state’s cranberry industry. The University’s colors — cranberry and white — pay homage to this history.

To make the world record attempt a reality, Rider will receive a generous donation of cranberries from alumna Judy Simons Church ’80, owner and operator of Simons Berry Farm in Tabernacle, N.J., a 275-acre farm that produces about 650,000 pounds of cranberries per year. The 184-year-old farm is located not far from the cranberry farm originally owned and operated by Andrew J. Rider. Church, a boardmember of the American Cranberry Growers Association, said New Jersey is the third-largest cranberry producer in the country.

The Rider community is invited to participate in the cranberry stringing. No registration is required. Volunteers are needed to be a part of the “Cran Crew” who will assist with event organization. To join the Cran Crew, email Bev Braddock at [email protected].

To break the record, every cranberry must be touching the next one in the line, which will be laid out across the lawn so it can be counted throughout the day. There will also be cranberry snacks, refreshments, activities and information available.

In an effort to be environmentally conscious, the cranberries will be strung on biodegradable thread, and when complete, the string will then be placed on various trees around campus so wildlife can enjoy the “fruits of our labor.”

For more information on Rider University’s 150th anniversary, visit www.rider.edu/150. For more information about Family Weekend, visit www.rider.edu/familyweekend.