Fort Scott: Guinness World Record holder!

Just seconds after it was announced that Fort Scott was the new record holder for the fastest group to lay one mile of pennies end-to-end, the crowd of participants and spectators -- in the hundreds -- roared with applause and inspiring yells of accomplishment. -- Rayma Silvers/Tribune Photo

By Jason E. Silvers and Rayma Silvers

The Fort Scott Tribune

Fort Scott earned its way into the 2010 Guinness Book of World Records by laying one mile of pennies in two hours, 23 minutes and one second at approximately 10 p.m. on Thursday.

Lois Midkiff (right) throws her arms into the air and screams with delight after Record Manager for Guinness World Records Kaoru Ishikawa (left) announced that Fort Scott had succeeded in breaking the world record by laying one mile of pennies end-to-end in two hours, 23 minutes, one sec -- one minute, 14 seconds faster than the previous record holder. -- Scott Nuzum/Tribune Photo

With the help of several local residents, the Youth Activities Team overtook the record for laying the fastest mile of pennies which was set on Feb. 24, 2008, by several teachers and pupils from Rickmansworth Park JMI Primary School in Rickmansworth, United Kingdom, who laid a mile of pennies in 2 hours, 24 minutes and 15 seconds. Fort Scott's record-breaking score beat the United Kingdom's record by one minute and 14 seconds.

Glowing with excitement about the win, YAT team member Amanda Johnson expressed the doubts that she had about breaking the record and her final push to make it happen.

"It is just awesome," Johnson said. "When the last 10 minutes was going on, I thought, 'There is no way,' but I decided to get back in there."

As a smaller group of volunteers works to break the world record for fastest mile of pennies laid -- a record they would own by the end of the night -- hundreds of other Fort Scott area residents continue to lay penny after penny Thursday evening, hoping to complete a continuous 40-mile chain in the Middle School parking lot and break a second world record Friday afternoon.

Johnson was not the only penny layer who expressed having doubts about the win. After the victory was announced, YAT team member Larry Fink made his way through the crowd exclaiming, "I was a doubter, but I was wrong."

Dean Bailey, one of the people who worked on the record-breaking line said, "It was an exciting finish. It took a team effort."

Eric Bailey, YAT team, said he was concerned that the efforts of those working diligently to place the pennies on the grid in the allotted time period would not be enough. The win, he said, was a community accomplishment.

"I was very concerned," Bailey said. "I knew it was going to come down to the wire, but we did it -- we as a community."

YAT Co-convener Diana Mitchell also attributed the achievement to the community of Fort Scott.

"I'm so proud of this entire town," she said. "This was not just YAT's win. It was an entire town. What a great day to be living in Fort Scott."

Looking around at the crowds of people scattered throughout the grid site, Mitchell smiled and added, "If we can do this, we can do anything."

With just minutes left in the event, only three penny-layers remained on the grid -- Bob, Alice and Carson Claypool.

"I had no idea we would make it. It was very nerve racking being one of the last ones on the grid," Alice said. "It is so nice the community came together to do this."

Although being the last participants placing the pennies was stressful, Bob said, "It felt good to be the last ones on the grid."

Friday, YAT will tackle another record-breaking feat as they attempt to lay the longest line of pennies. Currently, the longest line of pennies record is held by representatives of the World Wide Fund for Nature in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, who laid 34.57 miles of pennies on Aug. 6, 1995, Guinness World Records records manager Kaoru Ishikawa said. An attempt to break the WWF-Malaysia record on October 6, 1996, fell short, Ishikawa said.

YAT members and hundreds of other volunteers have spent the last few days laying pennies in the Fort Scott Middle School parking lot in an attempt to create a 40-mile end-to-end chain of pennies (nearly 4 million pennies), which would shatter the current world record if it is achieved.

The world record attempt is part of a "Pennies for the Park" fundraiser that YAT has conducted the last several months in an effort to collect money that would pay for about $4 million in upgraded facilities at Ellis Park. Renovations would include new batting cages, a miniature golf course, sand volleyball and a walking trail, among several other pieces of equipment.

The group has collected more than $34,000 (10 tons) worth of pennies since beginning the fundraiser.

Local philanthropist Danny Ellis, whom Ellis Park is named for, attended a Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Coffee Thursday morning hosted by YAT members at the penny-laying site. Ellis said he was there to view the penny project for the first time, and that he has been very pleased to work with the YAT committee on a plan to improve the park.

"Looking out here, I'd say I'm impressed," Ellis said. "This is leadership that has stepped forward, and everybody's pulling on the same end of the rope. This will mean nothing but positive things for the community. It's the best voluntary leadership I've seen in probably 40 years."

Ellis said he was thrilled when YAT members contacted him about a possible plan to improve and expand Ellis Park, and has supported YAT activities and the penny project since its inception.

"I've had no objection to improving the park," Ellis said. "This (project) is just the beginning as far as I'm concerned."

Ellis Park, which Ellis said he donated to the City of Fort Scott and Bourbon County years ago, is between 25 and 30 years old and has been in need of improvements for some time. The park, which first began as only trees and brush, currently contains a baseball field, a soccer field, and various other amenities that are in need of improvements, Ellis said.

Although a it would be a major accomplishment if Fort Scott were listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, the feats that the YAT team is undertaking are not the only impressionable aspect of their project. According to Ishikawa, the joining together of a community for one common goal is also important.

"I particularly like it when a community joins together to do something like this," Ishikawa said.

While speaking to residents during the chamber coffee on Thursday, YAT Co-convener Clayton Tatro expressed some of the positive aspects of the Pennies for the Park campaign.

"Doing this gives us a sense of pride, a sense of accomplishment, and a sense of doing something for our community," Tatro said.

Speaking in support of the penny campaign during the chamber coffee, local resident Jim Scott expressed approval for YAT's efforts.

"Nothing happens until we make it happen, and in reality, that is what we're doing," Scott said.

After arriving at the penny-laying site, Ishikawa looked out across the laying-field and commented, "Wow, pretty impressive," YAT team Co-convener Diana Mitchell told coffee attendees.

Mitchell added, "If we can 'wow' Guinness, we can 'wow' anybody."