University of Colorado at Boulder students will attempt to set a record for the world's largest hug in honor of Lynn "Gordie" Bailey Jr. during the Arizona State football game on Sept. 16.
The attempt will be made during the first television time-out of the second quarter at Folsom Field and everyone in the stadium will be invited to participate. The "Gordie Hug" is being organized by the student groups Power of One and G.O.R.D. in honor of Bailey, who was a CU-Boulder freshman when he died from acute alcohol poisoning on Sept. 17, 2004.
"Though only 18 when he passed away, Gordie left behind a tremendous legacy of scholarship, athleticism and friendship both here at CU and at his high school, Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts," said CU-Boulder student Jack Gilles, a founding member and current director of G.O.R.D., who is organizing the event.
One of Bailey's legacies was the creation of the "hug club" at his high school, Gilles said. The club was an effort by Bailey to build community by encouraging seniors to hug incoming freshmen and other students they didn't yet know.
The Sept. 16 "Gordie Hug" is an effort to build a stronger community at CU-Boulder by encouraging people to hug the person next to them, Gilles said. The event will be led by a student or CU-Boulder administrator with a microphone from the field.
The current record for the World's Largest Hug in the Guinness Book of World Records is 5,000 participants, Gilles said. The record-setting attempt at Folsom will be well documented and word of the attempt is being spread through a grassroots campaign of student and residence hall groups, he said.
Also, "check cards" produced by the Gordie Foundation will be passed out after the game outside of the stadium. The cards are the size of a credit card and feature Bailey's photograph on one side and information on the signs of alcohol poisoning on the other. They are intended to be carried in a wallet or purse and 28,000 of them will be available at Saturday's game.
As a freshman at CU-Boulder, Bailey took a full course load, tried out for and made the lacrosse team, rushed a fraternity and was the president of his residence hall floor in Williams Village. In high school, Bailey was starting linebacker and captain of the football team, was a starter on the lacrosse team and a star of the drama department.
The Power of One is a student-led organization devoted to building community at CU-Boulder. It both recognizes the power of one individual to make a difference and also encourages the campus to work together.
The student group G.O.R.D., which stand for Guidelines and Objectives on Responsible Drinking, was formed to educate students on the dangers of excessive drinking. More information is posted at .