That wasn’t thunder pouring out of Prospera Place on Canada Day. That was the sound of more than 200 drums being beaten simultaneously.

In an attempt to break the Guinness World Record of “largest group drum roll,” drummers in 13 cities across Canada beat their drums at the same time on July 1.

The number of total drummers that took place in the countrywide event is still being totalled by Guinness World Record officials, but the national project manager, Helen Yu, said she is hopeful.

“It’s looking really positive,” she said.

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Hua Meng, the founding president and volunteer administrator of the Okanagan Chinese Canadian Association said this was the first time Kelowna participated in the now three-year-old event.

“The ultimate goal of this program is to draw attention to our existence of diversity,” Meng said.

More than 200 people participated in the Kelowna event, but Meng said only 186 registered.

Meng said the record was set last year when 1,638 participants beat their drums simultaneously, but she believes this year’s number will trump it.

Rattle drums were handed out to the audience so they too could participate and Meng said the volume immediately spiked.

“It was loud,” she said with a laugh. “Kids started to bang their drums and the emcee tried to tell them to wait until the time comes.”

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More than 430 participated in the Vancouver event, where the Guinness World Record official was watching.

“The Kelowna team did great,” Yu said.

The Canada Day National Drumming Day is expected to take place again next year, both Yu and Meng said.

@caitleerach
Caitlin.clow@kelownacapnews.com
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