The clock hit 6:30p and Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide simultaneously hopped-to.
At the Red Bank chapter, on Drs. James Parker Boulevard, unit director Shniece Perry was slightly tentative.
About a dozen of the club’s members had just finished practicing a timed run of jumping jacks, readying for the early evening attempt to enter the Guinness Book of World Records for the most people doing simultaneous jumping jacks across multiple venues.
“They just did a little practice run to see how long two minutes is,” Perry said. “We hope that they last.”
In the one that counted, one girl called uncle with about 30 seconds to go, while the rest kept with the clock in hopes of breaking the record.
It’s yet to be seen whether the national organization will make it into the books. Perry took a roll of all who participated and will submit the information to the Boys and Girls Club.
The two minutes flew by with a little motivation from Perry and club employee Aaron Styles, who put out the rallying cry, “jumping jacks, jumping jacks, who can do jumping jacks?”
“Me, me, me, me,” the kids responded.
Then time was up, and the kids went limp and exhaled.
“That shows you’ve got what it takes to be healthy and stay on top,” Styles said. “Remember this: you be great.”
