Help Cabot® Make It BIG... GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® BIG

NEW YORK, May 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- There's something BIG going on in New York City this week… REALLY, REALLY BIG!  In fact, it's GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS^® BIG!

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120213/MM52737LOGO)

Cabot Creamery Cooperative is joining forces with Vitamix^®, The Food Bank For New York City, and Bike Expo New York to create the World's Largest sMOOthie – all to benefit The Food Bank for New York City.

When we say REALLY, REALLY BIG, we're not kidding!  The Cabot sMOOthie prep team, led by Cabot Chef and spokesperson Jimmy Kennedy and Cabot Farmer/Chef spokesperson Mark Hackett, will be hard at work blending healthy and delicious Cabot Vanilla Bean Greek-Style Yogurt with more than 3,200 fresh bananas, and hundreds of pounds of ice all in an attempt to create ...the world's largest sMOOthie! 

The GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS mark for the World's Largest Smoothie is currently held by a team of students from Fresno State University. They created a smoothie on April 13 that was 1,438 liters (380 US gallons) of orange juice, yogurt and frozen strawberries. The Cabot sMOOthie team will attempt to set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS mark of more than 400 US gallons on Friday, May 3 at 10 am located at the Bike Expo New York event held on Pier 36 at 299 South Street in Basketball City, New York, NY.

Can we do it?  Remember, please – we've done it before! Cabot established and still holds the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the largest-ever grilled cheese sandwich (320 pounds), set on November 4, 2000 in Everglades City, FL, and The World's Largest Mac & Cheese (2,469 pounds) set in 2010 in New Orleans.

Going for a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title is especially poignant for Cabot New York Market Manager Karen Houchens, whose territory was so badly devastated by Hurricane Sandy last October as its storm surge hit the coast of New Jersey and then slammed head-on into New York City on October 29^th, flooding streets, tunnels and subway lines and cutting power in and around the city for up to four weeks.

"Like all of Cabot's GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS official attempts, we do this for charity," Houchens said.  "And I'm proud to say that this record attempt will benefit Food Bank For New York City to help feed those in need who are still affected by Hurricane Sandy. 

What do you do with a 400+ gallon sMOOthie?  You share it with a lot of people and you raise critically needed money for Food Bank For New York City – that's what WE do with a giant sMOOthie!  How? Once we establish the new record, we will be selling 17-ounce commemorative cups filled with our record-setting sMOOthie for a donation of $1.00 per cup.  All the proceeds go directly to Food Bank For New York City to help with Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. 

"Cabot is owned by 1200 farmer-owners located throughout New England and upstate New York, and they are proud to support Food Bank For New York as it strives to help those affected by Sandy," Houchens said.  "Our farmers are dedicated to community service and we are pleased to be making this record-setting attempt on behalf of all our farmers and Food Bank For New York City."

"We are honored to be representing all of Cabot's farmers," said Sandy Boardman, who along with her daughter Sheri, are an integral part of the Cabot sMOOthie prep team. Sandy, who is a partner along with her parents Doug and Chris Carlson, own and operate Carlwood Farm in Canaan, CT. Sandy is a fourth generation farmer. Sheri, who has her Master's Degree from Cornell University and is an Agricultural Education Teacher in the community, represents the family's fifth generation of farming at Carlwood Farm. 

Asked why people should choose Cabot over other brands, Sheri is quick to respond, "When you buy Cabot products, you are supporting the farmers of New England and New York while enjoying the highest quality products in the industry.  As one of the 1200 farm families who own Cabot, we take great pride in all our products, and consumers can feel good knowing that every time they purchase Cabot products, 100 percent of the profits go to the farm families who own Cabot."

At one point or another, the entire Carlson family has been involved with 4-H, FFA and exhibiting cattle at local and regional fairs.  Sandy's other children, Rene and Ricky, own cattle on the farm and help work the farm throughout the year.  They tend to 55 Holstein and Jersey cows that are milked twice daily.  "It's truly a family operation," Sandy says.  "Everyone lends a helping hand when it comes to book keeping, crop production, and tending to the cattle – we wouldn't trade it for the world."

The sMOOthie will be made by a human-powered Vitamix Blender as well as four electric Vitamix blenders and continuously poured into a massive food-grade holding vessel packed in ice and decorated like a giant cup.

"This is a very exciting challenge," Jimmy Kennedy says.  "I didn't have a chance to participate in our Cabot Mac & Cheese GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS official attempt so I'm really looking forward to making the sMOOthie."

"I agree," said Kennedy's teammate Mark Hackett.  "We've got all the ingredients lined up and we're all set to challenge the record.  Now all we need are some strong legs to power our human-powered bike blender and we'll be on our way to a world record."

Houchens says Bike Expo attendees are welcome to take a spin on the bike blender on an as-needed basis throughout the course of the record attempt that she anticipates will take between six to eight hours.

"Vitamix is proud to be a sponsor of Cabot's GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS official attempt at creating the World's Largest sMOOthie," says Vitamix Marketing Programs Manager Wendy Manfredi.  "We're one hundred percent confident that our Vitamix Model 5200 Blenders are up to the challenge of creating literally hundreds of gallons of sMOOthie product non-stop for nearly eight straight hours.  It's a great cause and we are thrilled to be a part of the effort to raise money for Food Bank For New York City."

"Food Bank For New York is very pleased to partner with our long-standing partner, Cabot Creamery, and with Vitamix on this exciting, and potentially world-record event," said Margarette Purvis, President and CEO of Food Bank For New York City.  "Both organizations recognize that while the storm has passed, the need continues.  This support will help us to ensure that our communities have the means to continue providing food, benefits and services Sandy survivors need to rebuild their lives."  

ABOUT CABOT CREAMERY COOPERATIVE
Cabot Creamery Cooperative has been in continuous operation in Vermont since 1919, and makes a full line of cheeses, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese and butter. Widely known as makers of "The World's Best Cheddar," Cabot is owned by the 1200 dairy farm families of Agri-Mark, the Northeast's premier dairy cooperative, with farms located throughout New England and upstate New York. For more information on Cabot, visit: http://www.cabotcheese.coop

Contact: Bob Schiers
Cell: (856) 905-7851
Toll-Free (888) 214.9444 or [email protected]

SOURCE Cabot Creamery Cooperative