Guinness Attempt: Biggest-ever Subaru gathering planned for Illinois in July
Thunder will descend upon Itasca, Illinois on July 11th, even if the sky is clear. The rumbling will be of the horizontally-opposed variety as Subaru of America's Great Lakes Region goes for a Guinness world record. The particular accomplishment Subaru is after is the "largest Parade of Subaru Cars," and Subie owners interested in participating in the event can hit a Subaru website to register.
The record attempt coincides with Itasca Fest, a weekend of family-friendly frenzy. Parade participants can save money on a hotel room, and Subaru's not solely seeking notoriety. Homeless pets in Chicago find refuge with PAWS Chicago, and Salute, Inc. is a non-profit organization that supports military personnel, veterans, and families. Both organizations will receive $15 per participating car from Subaru, up to a total of $7,000. If you've got a Scooby with a taste for the open road, strap the whole family in and light out for Itasca, all wheel drive churning, and turbocharger awhirl. Press release posted after the jump.
[Source: Subaru, Photo: WickedBigMeet]
Subaru of America, Inc.'s Great Lakes Region, in Partnership with the Village of Itasca, Attempts to Set a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS(TM) Record
- Plans 'Largest Parade of Subaru Cars' in the World -
ITASCA, Ill., June 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Subaru of America, Inc.'s Great Lakes Region, in partnership with the Village of Itasca, announced today that it will attempt to set a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS(TM) record for the "Largest Parade of Subaru Cars." The attempt will take place on July 11, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. The parade will start at 500 Park Boulevard in Itasca, Illinois.
Starting June 22 through July 8, interested participants can register their Subaru in the parade by visiting www.subaru.com/parade.
In celebration of this exciting event, Subaru's Great Lakes Region will make a donation of $15 per participating Subaru vehicle up to a total donation amount of $7,000. This donation will be shared equally between PAWS Chicago and Salute, Inc. For more information on these organizations please visit their respective websites at www.pawschicago.org/ and www.saluteinc.org/.
An official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS(TM) adjudicator will be on site to observe and confirm this record attempt.
In addition to going for the record and helping raise funds for two great organizations, parade participants:
-- Will receive a special gift bag (one per car).
-- Are invited to attend Itasca Fest following the GUINNESS WORLD
RECORDS(TM) attempt. This fest is great for the entire family and
features: live entertainment, carnival rides, food, bingo, kids'
entertainment, a three-on-three basketball tournament, and NASA's
"Journey to Tomorrow" exhibit. For more information visit
www.itasca.com.
-- Are eligible for a special event room rate of $89 per night* at The
Westin Chicago Northwest hotel. For your convenience, this four-star,
four-diamond hotel is located within walking distance from the start
of the parade. To make a reservation, simply visit
www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/res?id=0906159812&key=A9AB8.
The event rate is good for parade participants only and based on
availability.
* Rate does not include tax.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Avinash machado 8:37AM (6/24/2009)
Will BoxerFanatic be attending?
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BoxerFanatic 11:24AM (6/24/2009)
I might, if I can get away from the office. :D
Avinash machado 11:51AM (6/24/2009)
Cool.
M 7:05AM (6/29/2009)
For the love of all things holy. WILL PEOPLE STOP CALLING THESE THING SCOOBYS!!! Aargh!!! Call em a Subie (soobie) but really adding a C in there for no reason is just plain annoying!
Dave in MI 8:51AM (6/24/2009)
Too bad we are camping that weekend. Gift bags and bingo......
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8complex 9:04AM (6/24/2009)
Quite the PR stunt... hella poor organization, though.
Not that I'm just hating on SOA for trying something like this, but they've done crap for the community around here. They didn't even announce on the biggest forum used by all the Subaru owners in the area here, though they've known about it for well over 9 years.
Oh, and let it be known for anyone coming to the area for this event... Itasca is among the top 3 cop-trap cities in the area. You might want to put silencers in your exhausts and keep your tinted windows down if you have IL plates.
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tuxchown 9:09AM (6/24/2009)
That much ugly in one place could upset the balance of the universe!
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Redline 10:29AM (6/24/2009)
Haha, I'm a HUGE Subaru fan, but that was funny! Once heard a journalist describe the previous Impreza STI's looks by saying it will beat you up if call it pretty and it will beat you up if you called it ugly as well.
FThorn 9:10AM (6/24/2009)
Why not Lafayette, Indiana, where there is a Subaru plant?
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vf34wrx 9:55AM (6/24/2009)
Exactly! Why not???
Cornelius 1:17PM (6/24/2009)
Why would that be fitting? The SIA plant only produces Outbacks, Legacies, and Tribecas. The vast majority of the cars at the meet will be Imprezas, which are made in Japan.
Fernando 9:15AM (6/24/2009)
Damm all those Birkenstock's and Vermont license plates are sure going to be a sight for sore eyes. They should of had it in Woodstock it would of been more fitting.
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DCragtop 9:17AM (6/24/2009)
cool! (the cause, not the cars)
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JZeke 9:20AM (6/24/2009)
I was thinking of rolling out of Chicago for this, but like 8complex mentioned I don't want to deal with the Stalinist police state that lower (oh, hell ALL) of Illinois is.
Methinks I'll be home on the east coast, on the beach that weekend...
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DeWeY 9:25AM (6/24/2009)
The cops aren't that bad. Itasca just recently held a Subaru car show also and that went off without a hitch.
This is going to be agood time I think. Can't wait.
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blizardi 9:39AM (6/24/2009)
What the deuce? We just held the Wicked Big Meet in Massachusetts. We couldn't get a Guinness adjudicator to agree that we would be setting a record. Oh well... I guess it gives us something to break when we hold it again next year.
www.wickedbigmeet.com
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Neil Schelly 1:16PM (6/24/2009)
They wouldn't qualify WBM because it's very hard to get Guiness to start a new record. They already have a record for longest parade of Subarus, and so this is just an attempt to beat a record. WBM is a gathering, not a parade, and they have no record for it, so they weren't interested.
I find it funny that this article is using a WBM-sourced graphic though, considering this record attempt has nothing to do with Wicked Big Meet.
-N
Patliean1 9:40AM (6/24/2009)
I live less than 10 minutes from Itasca...too bad I drive a Honda : (
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chconline 11:00AM (6/24/2009)
Show up in a turbocharged Odyssey or something just to piss them off :D
broosewee 9:55AM (6/24/2009)
The police activity is troublesome, but I can't imagine much hassle if it's organized for a good cause. If it were more toward the east, I'd be there in a heartbeat.
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