DICKSON CITY - Before this weekend, the most people Tom Mihalick had ever showered with at one time was six.
"It was at my fraternity in college," he said with a laugh.
But on Saturday, the Jermyn resident was prepared to shower with more than 160 others - most of them perfect strangers - in an attempt to break a world record for the most people showering in one location simultaneously.
The current record-holder for largest simultaneous shower at a single venue was logged in July 2009, when 145 people showered together in Gurnee, Ill., according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
Saturday's attempt was made in the back parking lot of McCann Business School, where crews with SSGC and Scotty's Services built a 68-foot by 86-foot plywood structure that featured shower heads at regular intervals. Water was supplied by several fire trucks.
To count as a world record, participants must stay in the shower for at least five minutes and lather up using a biodegradable soap donated by The Fanciful Fox in Scranton.
"It is the most bizarre request I've ever had," said Fanciful Fox co-owner Amanda Fox. "(They) asked for 400 slivers of soap and we said, 'Sure.'"
The idea is the brainchild of Randy Snedeker, who decided to link the attempt with a fundraiser for St. Jude's in honor of his late mother, Dorothy.
"I've always wanted to break a world record," Snedeker said.
Mihalick, a mail carrier, came out for the group shower because he knew Snedeker from his postal route.
"I miss seeing her," he said. "She was a nice lady and made my route great."
Many, including Mihalick, donned swimwear for group shower. Others added whimsical touches, including water wings, shower caps, life jackets and snorkels.
Long Pond residents Dave and Lynne Woolfenden kept things simple; both wore bathing suits and brought towels to dry off with after. The couple had heard about the event on television and thought it would be fun to help.
