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Basalt takes aim at world record Saturday

Staff report

IF YOU GO

What: Assembly of possible world-record painting

Where: Willits Rugby Field

When: 10 a.m.

Bonus: Community photo will be taken

Basalt is going for a world record Saturday.

Town officials and volunteers will assemble a 22,680-square-foot painting starting at 10 a.m. Saturday to reveal six colorful images that capture the spirit of Basalt.

The 126-foot-by-180-foot painting was made entirely by footprints. Everyone from schoolchildren’s groups to civic organizations bared their feet and chipped in on the effort over the past three months. An official from Guinness World Records will be on site to immediately determine if a record was set. Basalt is trying to beat the record of an 18,135-square-foot painting from footprints set in China in 2012.



“We have met a lot of fun and interesting people on this journey,” said Basalt Town Manager Mike Scanlon. “It has brought our community together and demonstrates that we can accomplish something amazing when we all work together.”

Scanlon said when the project was launched that the world record would be nice, but his true goal was unity and camaraderie. The town has been divided over land-use issues recently.




To create the painting, the Basalt barefoot brigade has left their mark on 560 separate muslin panels. They dipped their bare feet, and in some cases their dog’s paws, in 19 tubs of different colored paints. Then they stepped, danced, tiptoed or otherwise made their mark on the panels.

The panels were numbered and categorized so that they fit into a specific pattern. They will be transported to the Willits Rugby Field on Saturday and assembled. Volunteers from Habitat for Humanity, Holy Cross Energy, Willits Town Center and the Basalt Education Foundation will help town employees lay out the panels in a predetermined order for a shot at history.

Assembly day will feature festivities including bike decorating at Triangle Park in Willits followed by a bike parade from the site to the rugby field with a police escort. An official proclamation will be read at 10 a.m., followed by a community photograph.

Information on the world record can be found at http://www.barefootinbasalt.com or http://www.facebook.com/BarefootInBasalt.

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