World's largest tutu, maybe, draws attention to cancer awareness
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on October 19, 2017 5:50 AM
Full Size
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
The world's largest tutu (unofficially) is rolled up and held around the Arts Council of Wayne County Wednesday. The more than 100-foot-long tutu will be wrapped around everyone in attendance at Saturday's Pink Plunge event at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park.
Wayne County people will don their pink tutus Saturday and jump into the swim lake at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park for the first ever Pink Plunge.
The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cliffs swim lake. The plunge itself will take place at 11:22 a.m.
The Pink Plunge was organized to help get the word out about cancer and raise money for cancer victims.
Sponsored by the Arts Council of Wayne County, the event is a fundraiser for both the Arts Council and Southeastern Cancer Care. And it's being held to help raise awareness of breast cancer.
To add another element to the Pink Plunge, Art Council director Wendy Snow Walker made a pink tutu more than 100 feet long. She said a case of small pink tutus was donated and she cut them apart and sewed them into one giant tutu.
"It took me a couple hours one afternoon to do it," Ms. Walker said. "But it was fun.
"I made the tutu because we thought it would be fun to attempt to break a world record, but it was unofficial because there was no Guinness Book of World Records person there. The largest one in the book is 86 feet and some inches."
Arts Council staff and board members, staff from Goldsboro Parks and Recreation and someone from Southeastern Cancer Care all helped wrap the giant pink tutu around the Arts Council building.
"We wrapped it around three sides of the Arts Council building from the front door all the way to the art alley," Ms. Walker said. "Then we gathered it up and carried it to the fountain downtown and made a circle around the fountain."
Anyone can buy a 1-foot section of the tutu for $22.22 or one of the many ribbons attached to the tutu for $2.22 in honor of someone with breast cancer or in memory of someone who lost their battle with the disease. It will be on sale through Oct. 31.
"If jumping into the swim lake is not something that entices someone, they can buy part of the tutu instead," Ms. Walker said.
Proceeds from the Pink Plunge will be divided between Southeastern Cancer Care and the Arts Council's youth programs.
"We thought that breast cancer awareness was a very important cause," Ms. Walker said. "We wanted to work toward a goal to help raise money for cancer patients throughout the area, and Southeastern Cancer Care does wonderful work in this area. We felt that they were really a good partner."
For more information about the Pink Plunge or to buy a section or ribbon from the tutu, call the Arts Council at 919-736-3300.