Schools team up to create mammoth paper chain

Kade Barham, Angus Ramsay and Edu Tremain hard at work. Photo / Duncan Brown.

The great Hereworth v Iona Paper Chain Challenge took place yesterday - all in the name of charity.

The Iona Intermediate girls were invited to take on Hereworth in a Paper Chain Challenge as a fun charity event in the lead-up to the joint Hereworth and Iona Christmas Market this Thursday.

Fifty-five Year 7 and 8 students from both schools spent 30 minutes each trying to make the longest paper chain.

Pippa Flay, Shaanon Warren, principal, Mili Kitiono, Iona College; Tyrone Chrystal, Steve Fiet all team up to make the longest paper chain.

Iona College Director of Advancement Rose Flay said the Iona girls used 19 staplers and nine rolls of sticky tape to join white and yellow paper together.

"The Iona girls split themselves into 16 groups of 3-4 students and like Hereworth, saw this as a fantastic opportunity for developing some impressive team linking skills."

In the end, 706 metres were produced, including Iona's winning 532 metres and Hereworth's smaller 174 metre chain.

The paper chain will be delivered to "Nourish for Nill" - the nominated charity for this years Christmas Market, where they can use it to decorate their depot for Christmas or redistribute it in the wider community, she said.

"This is a fun opportunity to promote the upcoming Christmas Market, and to build a greater sense of community to support Iona coming together with Hereworth for the first time to co-host the market."

Co-chair Hereworth Parents' Association, Lysette Parbhu said the boys' had lots of fun, with Headmaster Steve Fiet joining in.

"It went incredibly well. The boys' were very positive and worked well as a team."

Ms Parbhu said a portion of the proceeds from the Christmas Market were going to the charity, which gives away what is otherwise wasted food to the community.

They hoped the challenge would raise the profile of the market to ensure more people attended.

The schools originally intended to enter it as a Guinness world record attempt, but didn't get the paper work filled out in time.

It is hoped that the challenge will become an annual event and they may invite more schools to partake.

The current Guinness world record holder for the longest paper chain in one hour by a team is 3,745 m and was achieved by The Hong Kong Jockey Club, during the Riding High Together Festival, at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong, on March 26 last year.

The Christmas Market will run from 6-9pm on Thursday at the Hereworth School quad and will feature a performance by members of Les Petites Voix - the Iona Intermediate Choir.

Stalls will include Wardini Books, Blackboard Jungle, Joy Candles, Jo Wilson Art, Galtons of Parnell, Cook Hawke's Bay, Ponder, Kiwi Wool, Margots, Handcrafted Chocolates and more.