Soda shower helps Missouri unofficially grab world record for the most Mentos and Pepsi fountains

Fairgoers were not expecting rain Saturday, but a soda shower helped Missouri unofficially grab the world record for the most Mentos and Pepsi fountains launched at one time.

Hundreds gathered near the Pepsi Grandstand Saturday afternoon to participate in the record setting event, sponsored by SCOPE, 4-H and Hooked on Science.

Jason Lindsey, who helped organized the event, said the official count was 2,211 bottles of Diet Pepsi.

“It’s exciting. More important than that we are bringing attention to science,” Lindsey said.

Moms, dads and children lined up in the shape of the 4-H clover as they prepared their bottles for launch.
Each participant was given a package of Mentos, a tube with a toothpick to hold the mints and a 2-liter bottle of Diet Pepsi. Most importantly was the rain ponchos that participants wore to keep dry.

Lindsey said Diet Pepsi was used because it is not as sticky as Pepsi.

Haylie Gibler, 10 and her sister, Kelsie Gibler, 14, of Hallsville, participated in the launch. Kelsie was one of the many people who launched two bottles to help set the record.

“Seeing all of them was really cool,” Kelsie said.

Haylie said she is excited to go back to Hallsville and tell her friends that she might be listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.

“They are going to be jealous,” Haylie said.

After a three second countdown, participants took the toothpick out of their tub holding the Mentos and watched the soda explode. A sticky shower sprayed the crowd as the Mentos dropped.

Lindsey helped set the world record in Cape Girardeau in 2007 with 900 participants. The current world record holder for the launch belongs to Europe, which stands at 1,900.

Cynthia Kramer, executive director of SCOPE, Science and Citizens Organized for Purpose and Explorations, said the launch is a great way to show people that science is fun.

“We want to inspire the next generation,” Kramer said.

Kramer said Missouri’s future is about agriculture, science and technology and the launch helps education people about all three.

Danny and Maureen Keedwell, of Odessa, brought their two sons, Sam, 10 and Cole, 8, to the launch.
“It went kaboom,” Sam said.

The boys have done a similar project at home with the parents, who also enjoyed the event.
“It was a blast,” Maureen said.

Lindsey said photographs, video and letters from participants will be sent to Guinness World Records soon to confirm the record.