CINCINNATI — It happened: Ticket to Hope, a Hamilton nonprofit led by Jim Foliano, exchanged 15,338 high-fives in 24 hours — even through the heavy rains that poured Sunday during the Flying Pig Marathon.
It was Foliano’s goal to make Cincinnati the “High-Five Capital of the World.” He set out to give and receive around 15,000 hi-fives in one day’s time.
“We persevered and succeeded in our goal. Now, it’s time to submit the evidence and pertinent information to the Guinness World Records to validate our achievement,” Ticket to Hope said in a Facebook post Sunday.
In a previous interview with the Journal-News, Foliano explained why the attempt was to be made:
“In terms of Guinness World Records, I grew up reading the book. So, I was getting these books once a year, and it had all the insane people and their pictures, the long fingernail lady, and the people with the longest necks. I’ve always been a fan of that stuff, but I’ve also been trying to think of ways to grow the brand, get more people involved, and build community,” he said.
The Guinness World Record is 14,607, set by Pete Timbs of Australia during the Bridge to Brisbane fun run in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, on Sept. 2, 2012.
Ticket to Hope is a nonprofit that has a mission to bring hope to individuals needing it the most by creating unforgettable experiences.
The group partnered with the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon and Cincinnati Reds not only to get the record, but to provide 1,000 tickets to children and their families to a Reds game this summer with a heavy emphasis on kids in Cincinnati’s foster programs.
“The longer I’m doing this, for over a year now, the more I’ve found that this is this community that really needs support,” Foliano said. “These kids may get pushed from house to house, who knows how many times, before they are even 18 years old.”
The 1,000 community members will attend the Aug. 7 Cincinnati Reds game versus the Miami Marlins.
“The Cincinnati Reds will do an on-field presentation recognizing the event along with the children and their families in the stands,” he said.
In addition to serving those in the foster care community, another area of focus for Ticket to Hope is the developmental disability community.
“Those are the two that I’ve had great interactions with, and it’s just kind of tugged at my heart,” Foliano said.
Journal-News writer Ginny McCabe contributed to this report.
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