UNICEF Canada recently launched its #HighFiveIt awareness campaign in record-breaking style with a successful attempt at the Guinness World Records title for the Most simultaneous high-fives
 
A history-making total of 7,238 people clapped hands with each other during the half-time interval of a pre-World Cup friendly between the Canadian and English women’s national soccer teams. The successful record attempt took place as Tim Hortons Stadium in Ontario, Canada.
 
The attempt significantly surpassed the previous record of 4969 people, which The Kroger Co. had held on to since April 2013.
 
The record attempt was calculated to kick-start UNICEF Canada’s viral #HighFiveIt campaign that is running through the rest of June while the Canadian Team competes in the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup.
 
Following the event, official Guinness World Records Adjudicator Alex Angert said “To be able to get that many people to do the same exact thing at the same exact time is no easy feat … The Guinness World Records achievement was the perfect way for UNICEF Canada to kick off their campaign.”
 
Participants of the record-attempt used the hashtag “#HighFiveIt” both prior to the event and during its aftermath.
 
Once the campaign was introduced, UNICEF invited people to post a photo or video of a high-five on social media and donate $5 - money that will go towards saving children’s lives and preventing needless child deaths. The Canadian Government has promised to match the first $1 million donations.
 
There were 37,126,658 impressions of the record attempt online and on social media, as well as coverage on Yahoo News and ABC News, demonstrating how the contagious hashtag made sure that the initiative was widely known and talked about throughout Canada as the campaign developed.
 
Learn more about UNICEF’s #HighFiveIt campaign at highfiveit.org.