SNOW HILL- Partnering with National Geographic Kids magazine and the National Recreation and Parks Association, members of the Worcester County Recreation and Parks (WCRP) after school program took part in Let’s Jump, an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for most people doing jumping jacks.
Spearheaded by First Lady Michelle Obama as part of her ongoing efforts to promote fitness in America’s youth, the world-record attempt stretched over a 24 hour period, from 3 p.m. Tuesday until 3 p.m. Wednesday. In order to break the record, more than 20,000 people need to do jumping jacks for one minute each. WCRP did its part by contributing 34 jumpers, who all jumped for 60 seconds Tuesday afternoon. The majority of jumpers were students in the after school program, joined by a handful of staff members.
According to Program Manager Kelly Buchanan, Let’s Jump is a perfect example of the kind of event the after school program likes to be involved with.
“Our goals are to be fit and active,” she stated.
Though it was a one-time event, Buchanan is hopeful similar nationwide activities will become more common in the future.
“We hadn’t seen anything like that in the past,” she said of Let’s Jump, noting that it was something both exciting and healthy for the kids to take part in.
While world-record attempts are relatively rare in the WCRP after school program, Standish said there’s more than enough to keep kids active and engaged.
“She [Buchanan] tries to expose them to different things,” said Standish.
Whether or not Let’s Jump was a success remains to be seen, as results aren’t expected until November at the earliest. However, judging by the enthusiasm shown by the kids, even if the record remains unbroken, the effort appears to be a success.