“In terms of Guinness World Records, I grew up reading the book. So, I was getting these books once a year, and it had all the insane people and their pictures, the long fingernail lady, and the people with the longest necks. I’ve always been a fan of that stuff, but I’ve also been trying to think of ways to grow the brand, get more people involved, and build community,” said Jim Foliano.
The current record is 14,607, set by Pete Timbs of Australia during the Bridge to Brisbane fun run in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, on Sept. 2, 2012.
Ticket to Hope is a nonprofit that has a mission to bring hope to individuals needing it the most by creating unforgettable experiences.
Foliano said Ticket to Hope will partner with the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon and Cincinnati Reds on May 6 to achieve two primary goals: to capture the Guinness World Record for “most high-fives in 24 hours” and to provide 1,000 tickets to children and their families to a Reds game this summer with a heavy emphasis on kids in Cincinnati’s foster programs.
“The longer I’m doing this, for over a year now, the more I’ve found that this is this community that really needs support,” Foliano said. “These kids may get pushed from house to house, who knows how many times, before they are even 18 years old.”
“We will attend the Aug. 7 Cincinnati Reds game versus the Miami Marlins. The Cincinnati Reds will do an on-field presentation recognizing the event along with the children and their families in the stands,” he said.
In addition to serving those in the foster care community, another area of focus for the organization is the developmental disability community.
“Those are the two that I’ve had great interactions with, and it’s just kind of tugged at my heart,” Foliano said.
Foliano will spend a 24-hour period over the course of May 6-7 striving to break the world record.
First, on May 6, he will be stationed at the “Finish Swine” during the Flying Pig Marathon events, including the 5K, Flying Piglet, Flying Fur and PigAbilities, designed to promote inclusion and support our community members with disabilities.
Later that day, Foliano will be parked in front of Great American Ball Park, beginning at 4 p.m., with the ShamRocker, a mobile DJ truck provided by Jake Sweeney Automotive. Hamilton’s own Unsung Salvage Design Company will also be on-site, live-printing T-shirts and all of Ticket To Hope’s proceeds from the shirts will go toward the Aug. 7 foster care baseball game.
To finish out the attempt, on May 7, Foliano will be at “Burke’s High Fives to Mile Five Fan Zone” during The 25th Flying Pig Marathon.
Foliano started Ticket To Hope as a way to give back to others.
The experiences include event tickets, and often there’s a need for transportation. Often, organizations want to receive tickets from Ticket To Hope, but they don’t have a means of getting their community members to and from an event. Many of them don’t have cars, they come from homeless shelters, or foster families.
“The Ticket To Hope team is beyond grateful for such an incredible 2022. Together, we’ve helped donate 1,800 experiences by partnering with over 50 organizations that focus on supporting individuals needing it most. We’re thankful to partner with incredible organizations such as MEMI Music & Event Management Inc., the largest live entertainment promoter in Southwest Ohio. Through the blessings and generosity of organizations such as theirs, we’ve helped raise and donate over $85,000 in items, event tickets, and costs towards transportation throughout 2022,” Foliano said.
MORE INFO
For more information about Ticket to Hope, or to find out how to support Foliano’s “High-Five” world record attempt, go to tickettoh ope.com/hi-five-challenge. Those who would like to purchase a “High-Five” T-shirt can visit unsungsalvagedesign.com/cincy-high-five online. To donate to the event directly, go to account.venmo.com/u/tickettohope.
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