Mumentous

View Original

The World’s Biggest Homecoming Mum

February 20, 2024 (copied from the official news release from Guinness World Records): Led by their teacher Abby Winston, a group of fashion design students at Lewisville High School in Texas, USA, have created the world’s largest homecoming mum corsage. Measuring 27 m² (290.64 ft²), it is almost two and a half times larger than the previous record.

A homecoming mum is a type of corsage given as a token of affection to a girl by her date in honour of the high school homecoming football game.

Lewisville High School’s record-breaking mum was created to celebrate their 125th anniversary.

When it was unveiled during the homecoming football game, Abby says the “whole school went nuts”.

“We wanted to go beyond traditional expressions of school pride and set a record that would not only make our school stand out, but also unify the student body in a unique way,” she explained.

“Known as the ‘Long Maroon Line’, the mum proudly represents the school's Farmer style and pays homage to 125 years of educational excellence.”

Abby says the most challenging aspect of this project was managing the logistics of the corsage’s construction and ensuring its structural integrity while adhering to a limited budget and tight timelines.

The students spent nine weeks and $800 creating it, using various materials to adorn the wooden base, including silk flowers, Christmas decorations, table runners, traditional mum ribbon, bells, glitter cardstock, and lots of “love, sweat, and tears”.

“We handpicked materials that not only screamed our school colours but also embodied that unbeatable Lewisville Pride,” Abby explained.

Coordinating the efforts of such a large group of students presented another challenge for Abby, who tried to ensure that everyone’s ideas were taken on board.

“The process was a valuable learning experience for everyone involved,” she said.

“It taught us resilience, effective collaboration, and the satisfaction that comes from overcoming obstacles to create something truly extraordinary for our beloved Lewisville High School.”

photo from Axiom.com/local/Dallas

Read the rest of the story at guinnessworldrecords.com, and click here to read the actual Guinness World Record record.

How did we get here?

Click here to read The Really Big Picture: The Rise of Team Mums


Shameless Plug for Mumentous

If you enjoyed reading this, I think you’ll enjoy my book, Mumentous: Original Photos and Mostly-True Stories about Football, Glue Guns, Moms, and a Supersized High School Tradition that was Born Deep in the Heart of Texas.

You don’t have to take it from me. I have loads of independent reviews like this one scattered throughout my website:

Mumentous will attract, delight, and surprise those who think it will be yet another coverage of motherhood alone…

Libraries and readers interested in women's history, literature, and especially regional probes of women's traditions and experiences will relish Mumentous for its lively celebrations of the Texan woman and the energy she brings to the playing field of women's literature and life...”

- Midwest Book Review and Donovan's Literary Services by D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer