By: Cate Mueller

New Date Set for World Record ATV Parade in Quartzsite

Saturday, February 10, is the new date for the Willpower Incorporated Largest ATV Parade word record attempt in Quartzsite, Arizona.

Willpower Director Alex Taft said the change was necessary to accommodate ATV riders who compete in the Parker 425 off-road race and also want to ride in a world record parade.

“As it turns out, the change is really for the better. The fire department is having their pancake breakfast February 10th, and the Rotary Club will sell food in the park after the parade,” said Taft.

Parade line up is at 8 a.m. at the Quartzsite Fire Station on Tyson Street, just east of Highway 95. Come early, the pancake breakfast starts at 7 a.m.

The parade starts at 10 a.m. and will proceed east on Tyson, south on Plymouth, east on Quail Trail, south on Las Palomas, west on Coyote Street, north on Plymouth, and then west on Quail Trail to end at the ball field at Quartzsite Town Park, where the Quartzsite Rotary Club plans to sell hot dogs, sodas and water.

There will be contests for most original riders and a raffle after the parade.

ATV riders, sign up now to help Quartzsite break the record. Call 928-916-0657 or e-mail info@willpowerinc.org. Parade entry forms are at the Quartzsite Public Library, the Quartzsite Improvement Association, both chambers of commerce and on line; go to www.willpowerinc.org/atvparade.htm.

Rules: Entry fee donation is $10 per rider; one rider per ATV unless the vehicle is designed to carry two; unlicensed ATVs must be delivered to the Fire Station to participate.

Willpower Incorporated is a non-profit organization created to support culture — fine arts, education and the humanities — for children, adults and seniors; and to support prevention of cruelty to children and animals. Projects include QAC, the planned Quartzsite Activities Center, and Paw Power, an animal sanctuary.

Cutline
(ATV Parade MightyBigFish)
All in good fun, a rider sports a gigantic catfish on his ATV in the 2006 Willpower Incorporated world record attempt for Largest ATV Parade. Cate Mueller photo

Two groups currently claim to hold the record.

“The current record is: A total of 687 quadbikes (ATVs) took part in the 20th annual Memorial Weekend ATV Rally & Parade through the streets of Hurley, Wisconsin, USA, on 27 May 2005. The event was organised by the Hurley Area Chamber of Commerce,” reported Guinness World Record via e-mail.

Willpower Incorporated later received an e-mail from ATV Nation in Georgia stating, “ATV Nation as a whole attempted and shattered the old record... 1138 ATV's,” at their record attempt in June 2006.

Repeated e-mailings to Guinness World Records to clarify the records have so far gone unanswered.
[NOTE: ATV Nation reported they did not charge riders a fee to participate. Perhaps they were unable to prove to Guinness how many ATVs participated.]