Monopoly games, players sought for Guinness record attempt, AWSOM fundraiser

By Lynn Ondrusek
Pocono Record Writer

Posted May. 3, 2015 at 5:24 PM
Updated at 5:25 PM

A group of Monroe County residents are hoping to break the record for the most people playing Monopoly at the same time, and make the day a fundraiser for the Animal Welfare Society of Monroe.

Donna Borger Deihl, who is helping to organize the event, said the process started in January to break the record starting at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 25, at Blue Mountain Ski Area.

She said she got the idea after her son got a Guinness World Record book for Christmas.

“He said, ‘Let’s do something,’” Borger Deihl said. “So we investigated it and came across the most people playing Monopoly in the same venue. It was only 316. We want to shatter that.”

After getting approval from Guinness, the group was sent a 40-page rule book that explains in detail how the record must be broken.

One of those rules is new board games must be used, which is a snag that Borger Deihl is worried about. She is trying to find a way to obtain 100 new Monopoly game boards. According to the official Guinness rules, if an old game is used and is missing a piece, it could void the whole attempt, Borger Deihl said.

So she is asking anyone who can buy a new game to donate it to the event. At the end of the event, those who donate the games will have the opportunity to either keep the game or it will be sold for $10, with the money going to the AWSOM, along with proceeds from a basket raffle and a 50/50 raffle.

Each game will be labeled with who donated it and the date and name of the event, Borger Deihl said.

In addition, Borger Deihl is looking to print out Monopoly game money to use as fliers for the event. Fliers brought to the event will go into a drawing for door prize.

Blue Mountain Ski Resort will host the event, and because it has to be videoed, Channel 13 is donating cameramen for the day, Borger Deihl said.

But to have 500 people playing the popular board game at one time is not enough. Groups of 50 people will be organized, and a steward must watch over them. Borger Deihl said she is getting local celebrities and personalities to help out with that part.

The game only has to be played for 30 minutes, she added, which could be the shortest game of Monopoly ever played.

For information contact Borger Deihl at 570-620-5726. To RSVP for the event, go to the Facebook invite group at www.facebook.com/events/1612254319020520.

She is also looking for an edition of Stroud-opoly to display, along with Carbon County’s version of the board game.