Love that is out on a limb

Lynchburg Parks & Rec aims to set a world record in tree hugging event

Lynchburg Parks & Recreation is hosting an event April 29 that will be an
attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest tree hug.

The people of Lynchburg are invited to come join in this unique event at Peaks View Park.

Anyone of any age is invited to participate in this environmentally-focused activity this month.

According to event coordinator for the largest tree hug, Brittany Griffith, this idea first started out as a joke on her part.

“We were thinking of some ways to do marketing,” Griffith said.

“My joke turned into a reality very quickly.”

This type of event has never been done in Lynchburg.

The last time the record was beaten was by an Indonesian public school and included 1,300 people. According to Griffith, the Parks & Rec team hope to have a minimum of 1,500 people here in Lynchburg.

To be able to beat the record, those involved have to follow specific rules in
order to avoid being disqualified.

The record attempt can only last for 60 seconds, and everyone has to be hugging the tree without touching any other participant.

“You can hug any type of tree, but you have to be able to stand,” Griffith said.

According to Griffith, this type of event is different than what Lynchburg has seen
recently.

Instead of fairs or markets, this event focuses on nature — specifically the bountiful trees that Lynchburg has.

“We haven’t really had an event that celebrates the outdoors,” Griffith said. “That’s really cool for us.”

The purpose of this event is to be able to spread the message that it is important to take care of the Earth.

The Parks & Rec department hopes to market this message through the event while at the same time doing something interesting and exciting.

“We’re trying to spread appreciation, conservation and preservation of the natural world around us,” Griffith said.

According to her, the event will showcase how important it is to care for the world and realize that it does the same for us.

While the attempt for the world record is happening, “Parks & Rec” will also be

having different kinds of  demos to give a preview of the many other events and activities they oversee for Lynchburg.

This includes gardening, mountain biking, rock climbing and kayaking demos.

Right after the tree hug, there will be opportunities to stay after and camp. 

“The Lorax” will also be playing for people to stay and watch.

According to the event’s website, the official tree hug attempt will begin at around 5:30 p.m.

To find more information about this event happening April 29, visit pleasedohugthetrees.com.

Hernandez is a feature reporter.