News Release
September 13, 2006
Matt McAllister attempts to break world record for Computer for Families
This Friday, KTYD Early Show host Matt McAllister will attempt to break the Guinness Book of World Records for the most number of t-shirts worn by a human being at one time. The attempted feat is also a benefit for Computers for Families and the campaign to fund the program in perpetuity by raising $4 million.
McAllister, host of KTYD’s Early Show, will join co-hosts Hayseed and Julie from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. this Friday, Sept. 15. The current record held by Will Sharp of Washington, DC is a whopping 121 t-shirts. McAllister’s goal is to break this record by achieving the unfathomable 150 t-shirts worn by a human at one time.
“It has long been a goal of the Computers for Families program to put Santa Barbara on the map by making this the first community in the nation that guarantees every child starting in the fourth grade has access to computer technologies and the Internet in the home,” said Joe Howell, past president of Partners in Education, the nonprofit that administers Computers for Families. “Who would have thought that in the process of achieving this goal we would also be part of an historic effort to put Santa Barbara on the map for being the t-shirt wearing capital of the world as well.”
“I am inspired and driven to break this record because of the encouragement of our loyal listeners who, while supporting me, have also done so much to support Computer for Families,” said McAllister. “The preparation for this is intense, and I feel an enormous amount of pressure not to let the community down, but with our listeners’ support, I am confident we will prevail!”
Members of the community wishing to support the record breaking attempt and the Computers for Families program are encouraged to join the morning crew at Earl Warren Showgrounds and making a tax deductible charitable contribution there, or by calling Sarah O’Brien at 964-4710 ext. 4418.
Computers for Families, a joint project of Santa Barbara Partners in Education and the Santa Barbara County Education Office, seeks to eliminate the negative consequences of the digital divide by providing students from low-income families with refurbished computers, Internet access, and training. Related program goals include improving the computer literacy of students and families, helping teachers develop computer and Internet-based programs, and helping juvenile offenders obtain computer repair skills and ultimately good jobs by training them to refurbish and repair the donated computers. Since its beginning in 1997, Computers for Families has placed more than 5,000 computers in the homes of local students.