HAVERHILL — Cheryl Roberts finished writing her 15th postcard, placed it in the cardboard box, and felt both excited and dissatisfied. Roberts wished she could do more to help Haverhill break a Guinness world record.
To promote the city and bring the community together, Eric Karlstad of the Soles of Haverhill Shoe-la-bration committee decided to try and break the world record for having the most postcards sent from one place at one time. A city in China, Luoyang, holds the record with 4,493 postcards.
"I'm just so excited we're going to set a record!" Roberts said.
After sending postcards to President Obama, the Boston Red Sox, family members, friends and herself, she wanted to keep going to secure the record for Haverhill.
"You want to see town pride, just look at me," the local woman said.
The postcard says "Greetings from Haverhill" and features a shoe sculpture with Winnekenni Castle on top of a hill and the Merrimack River.
The Shoe-la-bration committee distributed 9,000 blank postcards to the community and kept 1,000 blank postcards for people to fill out at last night's July Fourth celebration at Haverhill Stadium.
Next to the Shoe-la-bration table sat 14 fiberglass shoe sculptures that inspired the image on the postcard. They are 5 feet tall by 6 feet long, and arranged in a circular configuration. The shoe sculptures are designed by local artists, with the exception of one, and sponsored by local businesses. They will be auctioned individually this fall to benefit local nonprofit organizations.
The final count for the postcards will be officially announced by the post office in Washington Square tomorrow afternoon. The estimated count last night was too close to call.
"It's looking good. We're getting close to breaking the record," said David McKenzie, a volunteer for Shoe-la-bration.
The project to get Haverhill into the "Guinness Book of Records" has been the buzz of the community for the last couple of weeks, Karlstad said.
Postcards could be picked up at local businesses and restaurants. Raff Cafe, a popular downtown restaurant, even had a box in which people could place their postcards.
Leota Sarrette, a volunteer with Shoe-la-bration, said the project has brought the community together and given people an opportunity to show pride in their community.
Elaine Barker, the owner of Paper Potpourri, said she picked up hundreds of postcards and brought them to senior citizens at Bethany Homes, including some who worked in the shoe factories decades ago.
"If we break this record, it would be because of Elaine Barker," McKenzie said.
Tim Jordan, an active member of Team Haverhill, a nonprofit organization that works to improve the city, sent about 100 postcards to people on his Christmas list. Two women from Andover, who loved the idea, came to the July Fourth festivities and filled out 100 postcards at the Shoe-la-bration table.
McKenzie said he has also worked hard to break the record.
"It feels like a part-time job. I feel like I'm working a job and a half," McKenzie joked.
Karlstad said the idea was to get people to come and see what Haverhill has to offer.
In an economy where businesses are collapsing and people are losing their jobs, the project has given Haverhill a positive community spirit, he said.
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