Rigby students attempt world record for high five chain
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RIGBY – Students at Rigby High School and Middle School set out the break the world record for the longest high five chain this weekend.
They didn’t quite meet their goal, but organizers said it was a good effort.
“(I feel) pretty awesome to know I tried,” 13-year-old Thomas Berger said.
Thomas and several other students organized the event to help give back to the international Make-A-Wish Foundation.
“It just started as me and a couple of friends we just wanted to make a change,” he said.
With combined participation from students and teachers, Berger hoped to rally over 2,700 people to beat the current Guinness world record of 2,711. In order to be recognized for breaking the record participants had to stand in a line and hit the persons hand standing next to them in succession. Each person had a ten seconds to do so.
School officials helped oversee the event, but ultimately Berger and his friends put the event together themselves.
“This school is really great for letting kids take a leadership role and letting them organize projects and really learn from them, we really like that about Rigby” Thomas’ mother Kim Berger said.
Unfortunately, only some 2,000 people came out to the event, but organizers said they weren’t disappointed. Kim Berger said she was proud of the effort her son and others put into the event.
“I think the turn out was really great. It was really great of all the students and people in the community to come out and support him today,” Berger said.
She said it isn’t unusual for her son to commit to completing big goals like this.
“It’s typical Tommy he’s the type of kid that will wake up one day and say, let’s break a world record and then go do it,” Berger said.
Local businesses helped donate to the event. Thomas and his friends raised around $2,500 to donate to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.