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Saratoga Splash hosts annual water fight |
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Written by Katie Robison
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Thursday, 31 July 2008 |
There were more than 1,400 of us equipped with super soakers and small squirt guns awaiting the sound of the whistle. And when it blew, all eyes were closed as water blasted our faces and bodies. Saratoga Soaked was one of the wildest and wettest events in Utah this summer.
The water fight took place at Harvest Hills Elementary in Saratoga Springs in order to break the Guinness World Record title for the Largest Water Pistol Fight ever. The current title, held by Spain, involved a group of 2,671 people squirting each other for over five minutes.
“I wanted to get 3,000 people to our fight,” said LeAnn Peterson, the organizer of the event. Although only 1,400 people registered, falling short of the 2,700 participants needed to break the Guinness World record, the event will be recorded in Skousen’s Mormon world records book.
“My favorite part of the event was seeing the community and our school come together to support Cassie and have fun,” said Peterson. “We’ll just have to try again in a few years.”
Also attending the event was Guinness World record holder for the longest fingernails, Lee Redmond, and KC Williams, a man who holds the record for blowing up the most balloons in one hour.
However, the star of the show was a young girl named Cassie Cox, who’s been struggling with a brain tumor for the past four years. All proceeds from the event went to her.
After interviewing her I asked if she’d be able to participate in the actual water fight. She immediately told me that she’d be allowed to as long as she tried to stay in the shade. And she did, along with other members of her family.
“We really can’t believe the support we’ve gotten from this event,” said Sandy Cox, Cassie’s mother. “There are so many people here for this one little girl.”
I was there for about an hour, armed only with a camera, and ended up completely soaked. Those who weren’t wet by the end of the event still left completely drenched when the local firemen turned on the hose and sprayed everyone down.
Saratoga Springs raised more than $4,000 for the Cox family. “When I gave the money to Cassie’s mom, she had a hard time knowing what to say,” said Peterson. “Just ‘thank you;’ and that made all the hard work worth it.”
If you’re interested in donating, there is a Cassie Cox Cancer Fund at Mountain America Credit Union.
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