I was thrilled to see that the World’s Longest Banana Split lives on (From the Archives, Feb. 6). I was one of the organizers of this very big and tasty treat. Note this happened on April 25, 1987, not 1989, during Communiversity. Students from all classes came together for a good cause and to break a world record. We donated all the money to a worthy organization in Princeton, the Family Services Agency.
It took almost a year to plan, with 500 University captains leading the thousands of people who joined in for the fun and bought $3 tickets to make and eat 3 feet of the banana split. In addition to the ingredients PAW listed (22,000 bananas, 2,000 gallons of all flavors of ice cream), we had 16,000 cherries, 17,000 ounces of whipped cream, 17,000 ounces of chocolate sauce, and miles of tubing and aluminum foil to make up the dish, which, according to the Guinness Committee, had to be continuous.
It was a messy day, but we raised money for a good cause and helped strengthen the community and university bond.