Friday, June 3, 2011

 Largest Blonde Parade: Go Blonde Festival sets world record (HD Video)

Riga, Latvia -- Over 500 blondes walked, drove, ran and jumped through Latvia's capital Riga in the annual Go Blonde parade organized by The Latvian Association of Blondes , setting the world record for the Largest Blonde Parade .

  Photo: Blonds participate in The World's Largest Blonde Parade in Latvia's capital Riga. Photo by: AFP, Ilmars Znotins ( enlarge photo )

The Guinness world record for the longest hair extension was 294.49 m (966 ft 2 in)and was achieved by Sarina Russo (Australia).

  Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the largest swimwear parade, achieved by 603 participants at the DaREDevil Run organised by Etana Insurance (South Africa) in Johannesburg, South Africa.

  "We have more than 500 participants registered, including a 15-member team from New Zealand, seven ladies from Finland and Italy and 32 from Lithuania,¨ said Marika Gederte, head of the Latvian Association of Blondes.

  This year's theme was Marilyn Monroe with many of the participants emulating the Hollywood star, who would have turned 85 this year.

  Participants not only had to be blonde, but had to accessorize with pink or red.

  The reason for organizing the Go Blonde project, considered one of the most cheerful year's events in Latvia, was quite serious - to collect money for charity projects.

  Money collected from the last year's event were used to build a playground for children with special needs, this year it will be given to children's rehabilitation centre.

  Event organizer Marika Gederte said:"It is hard for one blond woman because there will always be some jokes. When there are 10 of them - there are no jokes already but if there are 100, then it turns into great power and if we can use it to attract the attention of donors and to help charities, then why not?"

  The annual event has grown in popularity, with most visitors coming from Italy, Germany and Bulgaria.

  Though traditionally most of the parade's participants are women, men didn't want to be left behind and also went blonde - put on blonde wigs and paraded through streets alongside women.