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Gardens Makes Guinness Book of World Records

Posted by Bob Gernert on April 2, 2007 at 11:08 am

Lake Alfred Boy Gets PCC Scholarship Prize Egg

Cypress Gardens welcomed more than 9,700 people (most of whom were younger than 14) to the World’s Largest Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday, April 1, 2007. Park President and C.E.O. Kent Buescher kicked off the event by accepting the award from Guinness World Records’ adjudicator, Marco Frigatti, for hiding 510,000 candy-filled eggs.

Cypress Gardens has a long history of holding world records, mainly in the area of water skiing. The World’s Largest Easter Egg Hunt is the first world record achieved since the park reopened in 2004. It took less than an hour for the more than half-million eggs to be collected by excited park guests.

Some 1,000 eggs held special prizes donated by local businesses. The Grand Prize egg containing a two-year scholarship to Polk Community College was discovered by six-year old Jonathon O’Neill of Lake Alfred (seen at right with PCC President, Dr. Eileen Holden).

Park officials have learned that the record is to be included in Guinness World Record’s next published book, which will be available in August of 2008.

It was a beautiful Florida day and an event to rank among the best in the park’s history. When it was mentioned that the Worlds Largest Egg Hunt was an event in the tradition of park founder, Dick Pope, Buesher commented, “I’ve got his play book and I understand it.”

While the Egg Hunt goes on in background, Guinness Adjudicator Marco Frigatti presents Cypress Gardens CEO Kent Buescher with official certification for the World’s Largest Easter Egg Hunt. (Left to right) US Representative Adam Putnam, County Commissioner Bob English, Winter Haven Mayor Nat Birdsong, Frigatti, Buescher, Cypress Gardens Mayor Banana George Blair and Bob Gernert, Winter Haven Chamber. Completing the photo are beautiful Cypress Gardens Belles.

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