MILL CREEK — They were stacking brightly colored plastic cups to the beat of music throughout the school day.
About 500 students at Mill Creek Elementary took part in an international effort Thursday to earn a place in the “Guinness World Records” book for sport stacking. It involves quickly stacking a dozen cups into pyramids, then unstacking them.
Some 600,000 people in 35 countries were expected to participate in the event, aimed at breaking the world record for the most people sport-stacking in different locations on one day. Students at about 100 other Washington schools, including several in Snohomish County, joined in the high-speed action.
Rhonda Kaleiwahea, Mill Creek’s physical education teacher, uses stacking in her classes throughout the year to promote hand-eye coordination, brain activity, fitness, teamwork and speed. She said it requires students to use both sides of their brains and is an activity they can do while taking a break from exercises.
“It gives them a breather, but while they’re breathing, they’re using their brain,” she said. “It really brings the academic classroom to the gym.”
During Thursday’s event, each participant had to continue stacking for 30 minutes. Once they finished, a local organizer and a witness sent information to the World Sport Stacking Association. It’s an organization that promotes stack meets, leagues and tournaments worldwide. The association kept the total and passed it along to Guinness.
Jill Fox, a spokeswoman for the event, said it takes about a week to find out whether they’ve officially made the Guinness book.
“We’re very optimistic,” she said.
The group’s website has a thermometer -style graphic that shows how close the combined locations have come to the goal of 600,000 people.
The association led the effort to set the 2013 record with 555,932 stackers, which was included in the book. Not all recordholders are featured in the printed edition, Fox said.
“We’re excited for next year’s book because they’re planning a little more expanded coverage of us,” she said.
The association has organized the growing event each year since 2006, when 81,000 people participated. This year, Mill Creek Elementary was among about 3,000 involved schools worldwide.
Shaina Beal, a Mill Creek third-grader, was excited to be part of the attempt to break the world record. She said she never got tired as she made her way around the gym to the 84 stacking stations, which included regular, mini and jumbo-sized cups.
“It’s exercise and I like to exercise. And I really like the moves and how it feels,” said Beal, 9. “It’s awesome.”
Amy Nile: 425-339-3192; anile@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @AmyNileReports.
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