The Swifties of Saskatchewan have hit the finish line and have set a new record for the longest Taylor Swift friendship bracelet.
The previous record of 852.19 metres was blown out of the water, with the Saskatchewan bracelet coming in at 1,200 metres.
Thousands of Saskatchewan Swifties, both new and longtime fans, have contributed to the bracelet all summer long in hopes of bringing Taylor Swift back to Saskatchewan.
The idea started with Z99 and a listener named Holly, who suggested the idea as part of the station’s #BackToSask campaign— a summer-long effort to capture the attention of Taylor Swift and invite her back to Saskatchewan, a province she last visited 15 years ago.
Nick Kodellas, an advertising consultant with Z99 said it has been great to see the community come together to accomplish a goal.
And while the Swift might be the main attraction point, the bracelet is also a fundraiser for the Regina Food Bank. For every metre of the bracelet, a donation of $100 was made by the local radio station. In total, that’s over $121,000.
“The fact that we’re going to be giving money to the food bank and helping people in our community, that’s really what this is all about,” Kodellas said.
He said something about Taylor Swift really brings people together.
“I think she’s just a universal right? Whether you’re watching NFL football or you’re a big Taylor Swift fan, or you are just somebody who just loves entertainment, that’s what it’s all about. And I think people gravitate towards that,” Kodellas explained.
And while it was a lot of work on the bracelet, fans of the pop star say it’s well worth the effort to get her to come visit.
Clair Heisler put together 60 metres of the bracelet by herself.
“I had a lot of fun,” Heisler said. When asked what song she would want to hear if Swift came to Saskatchewan she said:
“Bad Blood.”