Sask. Swifties set world record for friendship bracelet

Saskatchewan Swifties have set an unofficial world record.

The 1,218-metre Taylor Swift Friendship Bracelet is the longest one in the world.

The Guinness World Record is held by a bracelet measuring 852.19 metres. The Saskatchewan bracelet has to be verified by Guinness before it is an official record.

The bracelet record attempt was the brainchild of Z99 listener Holly, who suggested it be part of the #BacktoSaskatch campaign.

The hashtag #BacktoSaskatch is being used at events province-wide to get Swift’s attention. The pop star last visited the province 15 years ago.

The hashtag campaign started with two morning show hosts musing about ways to bring Taylor Swift back to Saskatchewan. (Z99/Facebook)

The Saskatchewan food banks also received $121,800 as Rawlco Radio’s Z99 and C95 stations matched $100 for every friendship bracelet metre.

David Froh, vice president of the Regina Food Bank, said the campaign was a very positive one.

“We’re out here setting a world record, showing Taylor Swift and really the rest of the country what Saskatchewan and Regina is all about, and that’s friendship, and that’s feeding our neighbors,” Froh said.

Froh said he was happy to watch the community come together for a great cause.

“Sometimes we feed over 17,000 people a month, half of which are kids,” he said. “But today, watching all these children make these friendship bracelets and set a world record, it reminds us what’s also so wonderful about home, and that’s that we care.”

He said the donation to the food bank will translate into 360,000 meals.

“Remember that behind every one of those meals is a family that when they come home from school today and tomorrow, there’ll be a meal there, and that meal is there because of the listeners of Rawlco Radio, and we’re so grateful,” Froh added.

“Thousands of Saskatchewan Swifties, both new and long-time fans, contributed to the bracelet, symbolizing the unity and passion of a province that knows how to come together for a cause,” Rawlco Radio, 980 CJME’s parent company, said in a release.

Saskatchewan food banks received $121,800 as Rawlco Radio’s Z99 and C95 stations matched $100 for every friendship bracelet metre. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)

The movement started with an idea, mused about on the air, and now it has become its own hashtag.

Z99 morning show host Wheels wondered if there was a way to get Taylor Swift back to Saskatchewan.

Swift has made four previous appearances in Saskatchewan, including stops in Saskatoon, Regina and Craven. The singer was last in the province when she hosted the Canadian Country Music Association Awards in Saskatoon in 2012.

From cornfield-carved messages to fishing lures, fan videos and plenty of laughter the #BacktoSaskatch movement was creative.

“What if we dreamed of the impossible — getting Taylor Swift to come and visit Saskatchewan again? Do you think we could make it happen? I’ve always loved that when a province as small as Saskatchewan works together, they can accomplish anything. And in this instance, no matter the outcome, good things were going to happen,” said Wheels, Z99 radio host.

Cassity, Z99 co-host, added with a laugh, “I’m going to have scars from tying all these bracelets together, but it was worth it. Knowing we spread joy all summer long, set some world records, and hopefully reminded Taylor Swift of how much we appreciate her — it was all worth it.”

“At the end of the day, I think she’ll see all that we’ve done and she’ll want to come back to the rolling prairies she fell in love with 15 years ago,” said listener Holly.

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–with files from 980 CJME’s Nicole Garn