Watch: Boise students battle with 100,000-plus marshmallows in world-record attempt
Thousands of marshmallows took flight outside of Les Bois Junior High on Friday in Boise as the school attempted to break the world record for the largest marshmallow battle.
About 600 students participated in the event. The students were separated into two sides with a “no man’s land” zone in the middle. Each student received a bag of marshmallows to throw to the other side.
Marshmallows were donated to the school from local grocers as well as students and the community.
With marshmallows still being counted, the total neared 2,270 pounds, or 145,000 marshmallows.
The previous record of approximately 2,000 pounds of marshmallows was set by Eisenhower Junior High in Taylorsville, Utah, in 2011.
Hope Squad, a peer-to-peer leadership class that focuses on students’ mental health and well-being, organized the Boise event. “The Hope Squad creates events to make people feel like they belong,” teacher Jobecka Thompson said, adding that the peer group works to make the school a safe space to talk about and normalize mental health.
Hope Squad students also led clean-up efforts after the sticky battle ended.
Ninth grader Jocelyn Meissner helped with planning the event. “All the work we put into it was worth it,” Meissner said. “Everyone was together as one community.”
The world-record attempt will be sent to the Book of Alternative Records.
“If you can show up and do small acts like bringing a bag of marshmallows, you can make a change in the world,” Thompson said.
