Attendees to the Orange County United Way’s 21st Annual Women’s Philanthropy Fund Breakfast held at the at the Hyatt Regency Irvine, fill plastic bags as they attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the most personal hygiene kits assembled in one hour, on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in Irvine. The previous record set is 5900 hygiene kits. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
In Sue Parks’ nightmare, she was abandoned to achieve an ambitious goal alone at Orange County United Way’s Women’s Philanthropy Fund Breakfast.
In reality, the OC United Way president and CEO was joined by a ballroom full of helpers who assembled 6,136 hygiene kits with plenty of time to spare in their allotted hour Thursday morning at the Hyatt Regency Irvine, setting a mark recognized by the Guinness World Records.
The number they beat: 5,900 by a group in Melbourne, Australia in 2021.
Attendees to the Orange County United Way’s 21st Annual Women’s Philanthropy Fund Breakfast held at the at the Hyatt Regency Irvine, hold cards as they have a group photo taken on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in Irvine. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Sue Parks, President and CEO of Orange County United Way, speaks to the attendees during the Orange County United Way’s 21st Annual Women’s Philanthropy Fund Breakfast held at the at the Hyatt Regency Irvine on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in Irvine. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Attendees to the Orange County United Way’s 21st Annual Women’s Philanthropy Fund Breakfast held at the at the Hyatt Regency Irvine, fill plastic bags as they attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the most personal hygiene kits assembled in one hour, on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in Irvine. The previous record set is 5900 hygiene kits. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Chloe McCarthy of the Guinness World Record organization takes photos as attendees to the Orange County United Way’s 21st Annual Women’s Philanthropy Fund Breakfast held at the at the Hyatt Regency Irvine, fill plastic bags as they attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the most personal hygiene kits assembled in one hour, on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in Irvine. The previous record set is 5900 hygiene kits. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
With the clock ticking down, attendees wait in line during the Orange County United Way’s 21st Annual Women’s Philanthropy Fund Breakfast held at the at the Hyatt Regency Irvine, as they fill plastic bags during an attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the most personal hygiene kits assembled in one hour, on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in Irvine. The previous record set is 5900 hygiene kits. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Attendees to the Orange County United Way’s 21st Annual Women’s Philanthropy Fund Breakfast held at the at the Hyatt Regency Irvine, fill plastic bags as they attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the most personal hygiene kits assembled in one hour, on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in Irvine. The previous record set is 5900 hygiene kits. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Attendees wait in line during the Orange County United Way’s 21st Annual Women’s Philanthropy Fund Breakfast held at the at the Hyatt Regency Irvine, as they fill plastic bags during an attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the most personal hygiene kits assembled in one hour, on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in Irvine. The previous record set is 5900 hygiene kits. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Attendees wait in line during the Orange County United Way’s 21st Annual Women’s Philanthropy Fund Breakfast held at the at the Hyatt Regency Irvine, as they fill plastic bags during an attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the most personal hygiene kits assembled in one hour, on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in Irvine. The previous record set is 5900 hygiene kits. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
An attendee grabs items to place in plastic bags during an attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the most personal hygiene kits assembled in one hour during the Orange County United Way’s 21st Annual Women’s Philanthropy Fund Breakfast held at the at the Hyatt Regency Irvine on Thursday, May 16, 2024. The previous record set is 5900 hygiene kits. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Attendees to the Orange County United Way’s 21st Annual Women’s Philanthropy Fund Breakfast held at the at the Hyatt Regency Irvine have their photo taken on stage on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in Irvine. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
An attendee grabs items to place in plastic bags during an attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the most personal hygiene kits assembled in one hour during the Orange County United Way’s 21st Annual Women’s Philanthropy Fund Breakfast held at the at the Hyatt Regency Irvine on Thursday, May 16, 2024. The previous record set is 5900 hygiene kits. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Attendees to the Orange County United Way’s 21st Annual Women’s Philanthropy Fund Breakfast held at the at the Hyatt Regency Irvine, fill plastic bags as they attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the most personal hygiene kits assembled in one hour, on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in Irvine. The previous record set is 5900 hygiene kits. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Attendees look at the screen to see the items they will be placing in plastic bags during an attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the most personal hygiene kits assembled in one hour during the Orange County United Way’s 21st Annual Women’s Philanthropy Fund Breakfast held at the at the Hyatt Regency Irvine on Thursday, May 16, 2024. The previous record set is 5900 hygiene kits. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Attendees to the Orange County United Way’s 21st Annual Women’s Philanthropy Fund Breakfast held at the at the Hyatt Regency Irvine, hold cards as they have a group photo taken on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in Irvine. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
“I love the fact that you’re all overachievers and want to help,” Parks told the 524 participants as the clock ticked down with no more kits to assemble. “Every one of these kits is going to go out and it’s going to help someone. They’re going to help somebody and they’re going to bring them hope.”
The United Way team set up eight assembly line stations around the edges of the ballroom and fed the crowd through the stations to fill two large plastic bags at a time. When complete, each bag held 10 items, such as shampoo, toothpaste, a toothbrush, hand sanitizer and nail clippers.
Some assemblers got the hang of it quickly and filled four or even five kits at a time.
The organization said it also set a Women’s Philanthropy Breakfast record by raising more than $600,000.
