On February 10, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Chile assembled the largest bed in the world in the city of Chillán, Chile. The bed measured 32.7 by 19.5 meters (approx. 107 by 64 feet), overtaking the previous Guinness world record, recorded in 2011 in the Netherlands.
The bed, which weighed almost 14 tons, was made possible through the joint work of ADRA, the humanitarian arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and other volunteers, including 6,000 Pathfinders attending the Chilean Union Pathfinder Camporee, and private companies. All of them gathered on the campus of Chile Adventist University to support the initiative that sought to bring to the forefront the plight of children and adolescents who can’t afford a proper bed.
Most of the materials used for the construction of the bed and its parts, purchased or made thanks to many donors’ contributions, will be adapted and reused, organizers said. “The wooden planks will be reused to repair simple homes, and the mattresses were borrowed from the Pathfinders camping nearby,” organizers explained. “Bedspreads were especially made for the project and [will] be delivered to children and adolescents in need as part of a full bed that ADRA is planning to give them, and which will also include sheets, a new foam mattress, and a pillow.”
The record-breaking bed also included a six-meter (19.7-foot) headboard; a 2.5-meter (8.2-foot) base; and an 18-meter (59-foot) pillow (equivalent to approximately four family vehicles). The bed weighed 13,800 kilograms (about 30,400 pounds).
To make the bed, organizers used 148 scaffold structures, 380 metal planks, 4,825 screws, and 1,622 drill screws. The initiative required 680 expert work hours, 56 assembly volunteers, 171 liters (45 gallons) of paint, 184 duvets, 250 meters (820 feet) of sheets, and 180 mattresses.
About the “One Child, One Bed” Campaign
The main purpose of seeking a new world record was to create awareness and raise funds for ADRA’s Un Niño, Una Cama (One Child, One Bed) campaign. The initiative seeks to purchase new beds for children and adolescents in need, including those affected by natural disasters or those who are forced to endure violence, poverty, abuse, or neglect.
ADRA has been working in Chile for 37 years, helping when natural disasters strike and also assisting vulnerable populations. Every day, ADRA Chile serves more than 3,600 children and adolescents through foster family initiatives, something it has done for more than three decades. The agency also works to promote economic development, clean drinking water, food assistance, and emergency response, among other initiatives.
“Unbelievable results can be achieved when we work in collaboration,” ADRA Chile director Diego Trincado said. “The challenge was immense to achieve this new record. But more than a record, which is wonderful, we feel moved because we are working to benefit the children and adolescents in our country.”
The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division Spanish-language news site.
