Some 400 volunteers are needed for a world record attempt for the longest banana split, at Innisfail, tomorrow.
The Australian Banana Growers’ Council (ABGC) has thrown its support behind the massive feat which will be attempted during the annual Feast of the Senses festival at Callendar Park.
ABGC director and event organiser Jade Buchanan, LMB Farms, said the logistics of the world record were impressive.
“We will use 40,000 bananas, 2,500 litres of ice cream and 2,000 litres of topping and cream, lots and lots of cream,” Ms Buchanan said.
“And, best of all, almost all of the produce and ingredients have been sourced or donated locally.”
The current world record for the longest banana split is held by the town of Selinsgrove, in Pennsylvania, USA, set in 1988.
“The current record is 7.67km. Our aim is to make 8km,” Ms Buchanan said.
To make the attempt possible organisers are looking for 400 volunteers to act as runners on the day, helping to distribute all the ingredients to 8,000 people that will be involved in putting the giant banana split together.
“The volunteers will have to be fit enough to carry a 15 kg banana box,” Ms Buchanan said.
“They will be involved in distributing the bananas, the ice-cream and the toppings to the people that will be constructing the banana split across Callendar Park.
“If the record attempt is successful, every person involved, including the ‘runners’ will receive an official certificate acknowledging that they were part of a Guinness World Records™ attempt.”
“All volunteers on the day will also receive a limited edition hat.”
The split will be constructed in 8,200 cardboard towers built by Melbourne-based cardboard artists Boxwars.
Over recent weeks, school children from across the Cassowary Coast have decorated the boxes with their own artwork.
“Two thousand kids from Innisfail to Cardwell have been decorating these castles that will be used to make the foundation of the split,” Ms Buchanan said.