HAVERHILL — On their own, the dozen or more fiberglass shoe sculptures could set some sort of record when they make their public entrance July 3 at Haverhill Stadium.
At size 61/2 feet and expertly embellished in various themes by local artists, these centerpieces of the Soles of Haverhill Shoe-la-Bration will make for an imposing sight.
But it's not the shoes that organizers of this art festival and community fundraiser hope will establish a new world record.
On that day, they hope to have in their hands enough stamped and addressed custom-designed Soles of Haverhill postcards to beat the current Guinness World Record for the greatest number of postcards sent at one time from one place.
The record is held by China's Luoyang City, which sent 4,493 postcards from one location at one time April 10.
"We're asking people to grab a stamp, go to a sponsor location to pick up a free postcard, or come to the stadium with a stamp," said Soles of Haverhill Committee member Leota Sarrette. "We plan to mail them from the stadium."
She said the details of how the postcards will be mailed are being worked out with Haverhill's postmaster. She said her committee is also waiting for information from Guinness officials on what guidelines to follow to make the record-breaking attempt official.
On Friday, Soles of Haverhill Committee member Eric Karlstad began distributing 9,000 of the postcards to various locations, including Pentucket Bank on Merrimack Street and the Haverhill Public Library.
Those participating are asked to write a short message on the postcard, address it, add postage, and return it to the sponsor by July 2. You can also bring it to Haverhill Stadium on July 3.
"We are encouraging everyone in the city to participate and be part of a Guinness World Record," Sarrette said. "The postcard promotion is meant to be fun, promote Haverhill, and could help bring visitors to Haverhill during the summer and fall."
Karlstad said he stumbled onto the postcard record when researching shoe-related categories on the Guinness Web site.
"When I saw this category, and knew the postcards could be produced quite inexpensively, I thought it would be a great way to get the word out about the Shoe-la-Bration and create some excitement within the community," he said. "I'd used postcards in the past, as a CEO of a furniture manufacturing and import company. We used them to introduce new designs to our clients."
He said the postcards were paid for by the Soles of Haverhill Committee in partnership with Team Haverhill and other community sponsors.
Each shoe will carry a plaque noting the name of its sponsor, the artist, and the nonprofit arts or cultural organization that will benefit when the shoes are auctioned in October at the Buttonwoods Museum. The auction will be live and online.
This summer, the shoes will be on display at sites in Haverhill chosen by their sponsors. Maps to each location will be available at that time.
Several shoes will be on display prior to the July 3 unveiling.
The "Pentucket Place by the Winding River" shoe, sponsored by Pentucket Bank, will be on display Wednesday at Winnekenni Castle's wine and cheese reception. Call 978-521-1686 for tickets or visit www.winnekenni.com.
The "Haverhill's Music History" shoe, sponsored by Trinity Episcopal Church, will be on display during Trinity's community picnic Sunday.
For more information, visit www.solesofhaverhill.com or call 978-697-1648.
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