PHOTOS: Suisuin City group tries to build world's largest Monopoly board

Bay City News
Sunday, May 31, 2015
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PHOTOS: Suisuin City group tries to build world's largest Monopoly boardSupporters of the Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Center in Suisun City, Calif. attempted to build the world's largest Monopoly game board on May 30, 2015.
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SUISUN CITY, Calif. -- At 3,721 square feet, supporters of the Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Center of Suisun City may have built the largest Monopoly game board in the world Saturday, according to a Salvation Army employee.




The record will need to be verified by officials at Guinness World Records, but Salvation Army Capt. Jonathan Harvey said he's confident the record will stick.



"It's not official yet but we feel pretty confident that we followed all the guidelines set out for this record attempt," Harvey said.




If certified, the effort will surpass the previous record of a 2,422-square-foot board.



According to Salvation Army officials, members of the Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce first floated the idea and then provided a $4,000 donation so the nonprofit could purchase the 150 wooden sheets used to construct the board.



An estimated 2,000 people came out to participate in the life-sized game, which was meant to celebrate the Kroc Center's third anniversary in Suisun City, Harvey said.




Employees worked for two weeks to paint and add graphics on the 8-foot by 4-foot sheets before assembling it in a park behind the center, Harvey said.



"It was absolutely huge," Harvey said, adding the board is 61 feet by 61 feet.



After the final touches were complete, Harvey said teams of players got a chance to try out the board and everyone got into a good-natured competitive spirit.




"That was very exciting," Harvey said. "It got very competitive but it was a fun competitiveness. It was just an incredibly fun family event."



The event was free, but participants were encouraged to make a donation to the Kroc Camp Scholarship Fund. The scholarship fund helps pay for children to attend an annual weeklong summer camp that serves 135 participants, Harvey said.



Attendees at the event Saturday ended up raising an estimated $2,000, which Harvey said will be matched dollar-for-dollar by Hodson and Mullin Attorneys at Law.



In addition to the giant Monopoly board, Harvey said the event also featured life-sized Connect Four and Angry Birds games.



Residents and visitors to Suisun City will have a few days to check out the Monopoly board and even try out a game or two, but Harvey said after that, the Kroc Center will be recycling the material for use in other projects.




The Kroc Center, a 60,000 square-foot recreational facility, opened in 2012, according to officials at the Salvation Army.



Those who wish to support the Kroc Center camp can text "Camp2015" to 71777 to make a donation to the scholarship fund, Harvey said.

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