Not even heavy rain could dampen the spirits of the crowd of participants hoping to break the Guinness record for the World’s longest bucket brigade June 20 in Millheim, Centre County. The event was held as a fund-raiser for the Millheim Fire Company in commemoration of its 100th anniversary.
“I was trying to think of things that would show what fire companies did 100 years ago and one of those things was to use bucket brigades to fight fires,” said Betsy Forsythe, event organizer. Before the advent of pressurized hoses, firefighters lined up between a water source and the fire and passed buckets from person to person to combat a blaze.
Forsythe hoped to attract the nearly 7,000 people needed to pass 150 buckets, each holding 2 gallons of water, more than 2.6 miles. That’s the distance achieved by 6,569 Boy Scouts when they passed 140 gallons of water, setting a world record.
Although registration began months ago, they were unable to recruit the numbers needed.
But there was a sense of excitement when the fire whistle blew at 1 p.m. and a crowd of nearly 400 dedicated men, women and children assembled behind the firehouse. They were quickly formed into long parallel lines that snaked their way through an open field. One by one, the buckets began their journey through the long maze, being passed with care to avoid spillage. Meanwhile the sky darkened, thunder rumbled and the rain fell. The final bucket to be passed was an antique leather bucket for donations.
Before the lines broke up, Guinness World Records Adjudicator Carlos Martinez oversaw the measurement of the total distance, which according to Forsythe was close to a half mile.
Although far short from a world record, Forsythe believes the event was a success. “The whole goal was to draw attention — not just to Millheim but to all volunteer fire companies and remind people of the need for fund-raisers. These guys work full time elsewhere, but they’ll get out of their warm bed in the middle of the night to go fight a fire and help people in any way they need help.”
Participants included fire fighters from New York State as well as some visitors from Yugoslavia, who after hearing about the event delayed their arrival by a week so they could participate.
n Interested in setting a World Record? Visit www.guinnessworldrecords.com for details.
News
Related Photos
-
Bill Kavanaugh/For The Daily Ite
Discussion
Bucket brigade fundraiser sets sight on record
- News
-
-
Memorial Day Observances
Here is a listing of Memorial Day events this weekend in the Central Susquehanna Valley.
-
Four charged in ripoffs that hurt eight local senior citizens
Four Philadelphia men have been charged with operating an elaborate scam that targeted hundreds of elderly residents across Pennsylvania, including eight Valley seniors.
-
Midd-West taxpayers face increase of $109
MIDDLEBURG — The Midd-West School District on Thursday night announced an average property tax increase of $109 to help offset its $1.8 million budget deficit for the 2012-13 school year.
Midd-West will also close two elementary schools, consolidate two middle schools, cut programs and furlough seven teachers and 23 other staff members. -
Jokester cop tased intern at station
NORTHUMBERLAND — A Northumberland police detective claims in a lawsuit filed Wednesday he was wrongly blamed after an officer shot an intern with a Taser gun while fooling around at the police station in December.
-
Jerry Sandusky charity to shut down and transfer programs
PHILADELPHIA — The charity for troubled youths started by Jerry Sandusky more than three decades ago — and through which the retired Penn State assistant football coach met the boys he is charged with sexually abusing — said today it is seeking court approval to shut down and transfer its programs to a Texas-based youth ministry that serves abused and neglected children.
-
Man pleads guilty in 2006 Penn State student death
STATE COLLEGE — A man whose murder conviction was previously thrown out in the fatal beating of a Penn State student six years ago has pleaded guilty in the killing under a deal with prosecutors.
-
Streaker at Phillies-Cardinals game last night lost a bet
ST. LOUIS — The streaker who ran naked onto the field during a Cardinals game says he did so because he lost a bet.
-
Privately-operated Dragon capsule arrives at space station
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Space station astronauts have captured the Dragon. The privately bankrolled Dragon capsule arrived at the International Space Station today, making history as the first commercial delivery truck in orbit
-
10 Things to Know Today
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today (times EDT):
-
LARA: Charred bridge sound
LEWISBURG — The fire-damaged railroad bridge crossing the Susquehanna River at Lewisburg is structurally sound following the March fire that discolored steel and charred roughly 400 ties, the Lewisburg Area Recreation Authority said at its meeting Thursday.
-
Stat of the Day: $2.6 million
Stat of the Day: $2.6 million.
That's what President Barack Obama has spent on advertising in Iowa, which may be a battleground state in November's election against presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney.
-
Northampton County jury sentences man to death in officer killing
EASTON — Jurors in eastern Pennsylvania have sentenced a man to death for fatally shooting a police officer last summer.
- More News Headlines
-
