According to tradition, friendship bracelets are worn as a way to honour the time, energy and love poured into a friendship.
So, what better way to show the meaning of friendship than by creating the world’s longest friendship bracelet?
On 28 April 2023, that's exactly what one McKinney, Texas elementary school did.
Under the direction of Korrie Lawson, the VP of Academic Enrichment for Valley Creek Elementary’s Parent-Teacher Association, 613 students, staff, parents, and community members came together to weave an 852.19 m (2,795 ft 9 in) friendship bracelet.
“We try to do something for each subject, and this year I wanted to do a group project for the art program. It was important to me for every student to be involved,” said Korrie.
“After some brainstorming, I landed on a giant friendship bracelet, and then I had this crazy idea to break the world record. Go big or go home!”
After determining the materials and knotting technique, staff decided to launch the project in the classroom as part of the art curriculum.
Every student was able to make a small bracelet to take home as well as participate in the larger group project.
“We were able to complete a large portion of the bracelet in one week,” said Korrie.
“From there, we offered opportunities for students to stop by and work on the bracelet before and after school and during breaks.”
The final push came during another academic enrichment program, “Love of Reading Week.”
A booth was set up in the hallway for a week and teachers, staff, and parents were invited to stop by and help.
The bracelet, which is made up of 7/8 in (17/20 cm) satin ribbon, took approximately 4 months to weave together.
“We titled the project the Valley Creek Elementary CommUNITY Friendship Bracelet. Themes of Unity, Friendship, and Teamwork are the cornerstone of the project,” said Korrie.
“Valley Creek has a theme each year and this year our theme was Stronger Together. The Valley Creek Elementary CommUNITY Friendship Bracelet is the perfect symbol of why at Valley Creek we are STRONGER TOGETHER.”
The project didn’t only bring students closer together, but also serves as a reminder than when people come together and work towards a common goal, great things can be achieved.
Valley Creek Elementary School is proud of their newfound Guinness World Records title and thrilled to be recognized for a project that means so much to them.
“Everyone is so proud of the work we have done,” said Korrie.
“You should see it in person, it is quite impressive! The icing on the cake is the world record.”
Want more? Follow us across our social media channels to stay up-to-date with all things Guinness World Records! You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Snapchat Discover– including our new Guinness World Records Extreme channel.
Don’t forget, we’re also on YouTube!
Still not had enough? Follow the link here to buy our latest book, filled to the brim with stories about our amazing record breakers.
Related Articles
