The local YMCA father-daughter group, the Indian Princesses, will go down in history.
They recently set a record for the most people to participate in a water balloon toss. But they didn’t just set the record, they created it.
“I had Guinness create a new category,” said Ron Semon, who organized the event.
Guinness World Records required there be at least 250 people participating. The princesses got 292.
There were other requirements to create and set the record than just the number of people though, like how far they had to be from each other, and although all the paperwork isn’t quite finished, Semon said, he followed all the rules. And there were a lot of rules.
He officially roped off the area, took photos and video, brought in official counters and official witnesses. He had signatures to collect and forms to fill out.
“It was a pretty big undertaking,” Semon said.
He didn’t realize how many tasks there were when he volunteered for the job, he said, but he’s glad he did.
“I wanted to do something different,” he said, “put our (Indian Princesses) mark on it.”
The record setting event was part of the group’s annual Family Fun Day, a day the Indian Princesses invite the rest of their family for fun activities and spread the word about the club.
Semon, who is craftmaster for the Newport Beach based Naranja Nation of the YMCA program, organized the family day.
Rudy’s provided food, Prehistoric Pets of Huntington Beach brought reptiles, there was face painting, bounce houses and other activities.
About 250 dads and 310 daughters were at the event, Semon said, including his two daughters 6-yeard-old Charlotte “Purple Puppy” and Madison “Cute Kitten,” 11.
“I was pleased” with the entire event, Semon said.
The family fun day is just one of the many events the group does together, but usually, it’s just father and daughter activities.
The Purpose of the YMCA Indian Princess program is to create meaningful memories, while having fun and making new friends. Along the way, the group seeks to increase awareness and respect for Native American Cultures.
The Naranja Nation has 21 local tribes, according to their website www.ymcaoc.info/naranja.
Semon and his daughters are part of the Sun Princesses tribe.
The Sun Princesses tribe focuses on father-daughter bonding activities and events. Setting a record together seemed like a good way to that and to give the girls a special memory, Semon said.
“I wanted to do (set a record) for all of our daughters and our families,” he said. Setting a new world record, “that’s one thing no one can ever take away from them.”
