Cincinnati, Ohio (USA) – The Cincinnati Horticultural Society is pleased to announce they have exceeded the world record for having the most scarecrows in one location with more than 3,300 straw-brained characters on display at the Flower & Farm Fest presented by Cinergy Foundation in early October. Months of hard work and the dedication of numerous community groups and individuals in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky pushed the scarecrow count ahead of the previous record of 3,079 scarecrows set by the village of Avonmore, Ontario, Canada in 2002. The Horticultural Society is awaiting official verification of the world record from the Guinness Book of World Records.

Proceeds from the ‘Scarecrow Hoe-down’ kick-off party, and from the Scarecrow Silent Auction held throughout the course of the Farm Fest, will be donated to Shriners Hospitals for Children, Cincinnati Unit.

Among the community groups which contributed to the world record effort, was the MRDD (Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities), which made nearly 400 scarecrows. "We were thrilled to be involved in helping to break a world record," said Jenny Dexter, Community Ambassador for the MRDD. "It was great to be around so much creativity as the scarecrows were being constructed. Even the staff and their families got involved! It was also wonderful for us to help out the Shriners organization because as a social service agency, we understand how important it is to support other worthwhile organizations in the community."

The staff of the Cincinnati Horticultural Society wishes to extend their heartfelt thanks to the following groups and individuals which dedicated so much time toward the effort to break the record and to help the Shriners Hospitals for Children:

Batavia Senior Center

Bethel Feed & Supply

Bethel Garden Club

Civic Garden Center

Clermont Cty. MRDD

Delhi Garden Center

Ernie Robinson

F.A.C.T. 4-H Club

Hamilton Cty. MRDD

Kroger Chef’s Choice

Krohn Conservatory

Log Cabin Herb Society

Maddux Elem. School

Mariemont Garden Ctr.

Over-the-Rhine Found.

Performance Gallery

Red Hat Society

R.I.C. Security Alarms

Rob Weinel

Shriners Hospital

Snooty Fox

Syc. Trace Block Party

Toni Teague

Turpin Farms