Community Outreach

Bid to set Guinness World Record for longest soccer game ever set to kickoff Thursday | SIDELINE

A soccer ball (adidas MLS 2014)

76 hours, 36 men, two goals, one mission: to find a cure.


That's the Guinness World Records bid set to be made by a group of men ranging in age from 19-48 on the Blackburn College (Carlinville, Ill.) soccer field beginning at 1 pm CT on Thursday.


The three dozen men will attempt to break the previous record of 72 hours and raise some money for charity while doing so. 


Rob Steinkuehler, head coach of the Blackburn men's soccer team and co-organizer of the world record soccer game, is the father of a 2-year-old boy named Jackson who was diagnosed with cancer after a tumor was discovered in his brain at 15 months old.


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After numerous surgeries, radiation and chemotherapy, Jackson was recently given a clean bill of health following his first post-treatment scan.


The group hopes to raise $100,000 over the course of the three-plus days of non-stop soccer.


$100,000 seems like a very realistic, attainable goal, especially considering the media attention this should garner. So if you'd like to make a donation — no matter how large or how small — you can do so here, at WorldRecordSoccerGame.com.


Players will be expected to put in shifts of 6-12 hours at a time, subbing out for periodic food, shower and nap breaks.


For those keeping score at home, that's the equivalent of just under 51 regular-length soccer games.


In other news, local grocery stores are experiencing a severe shortage of oranges and Capri Sun this week.