Sam Kass of West Nyack set a new Guinness World Record with the help of some friendly strangers in Times Square. The 49-year-old dad collected 3,132 high-fives in a 24-hour period, standing in the middle of the tourist hub and asking anyone nearby to give his gloved hand a good slap. His son told the Daily News, "I never thought my dad would be one of those crazies in Times Square. But here he is."
In an interview with LoHud, Kass said he never planned on breaking any world records, but was inspired by an article in Sports Illustrated. He said, "The article mentioned that there was actually a world record in the Guinness Book. The record is 3,131, set outside of a Dunkin' Donuts in Providence, R.I., in 2008. I made an off-handed remark to my son that if a guy could get that many in that place, imagine how many I could get in Times Square."
The stunt wasn't just for fun; Kass high-fived his way through the crowds to raise money the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Center. He also said he doesn't want the next person to break the record to have it as easy as he did. "I want to keep going," said Kass after his record breaking high-five. "I don't want any other crazy to think about breaking the mark I set here today."
In an interview with LoHud, Kass said he never planned on breaking any world records, but was inspired by an article in Sports Illustrated. He said, "The article mentioned that there was actually a world record in the Guinness Book. The record is 3,131, set outside of a Dunkin' Donuts in Providence, R.I., in 2008. I made an off-handed remark to my son that if a guy could get that many in that place, imagine how many I could get in Times Square."
The stunt wasn't just for fun; Kass high-fived his way through the crowds to raise money the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Center. He also said he doesn't want the next person to break the record to have it as easy as he did. "I want to keep going," said Kass after his record breaking high-five. "I don't want any other crazy to think about breaking the mark I set here today."
