RUMFORD – A 25- by 100-foot letter to Santa – possibly the world’s largest – could land the town in the Guinness Book of World Records.

That’s the hope of Scot Grassette, who came up with the idea. He has the paperwork from the organization. He’s made arrangements to mail the letter to North Pole, Alaska. All that’s needed is completion of the project on Saturday, Nov. 29.

It will work this way: Anyone, child or adult, who has a request for Santa can go to the Mountain Valley High School gymnasium between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and tell a majorette or a senior student what they want from Santa. The students, dressed as elves, will write down the requests and sign people’s names to the sprawling letter.

“I hope 500 people will come,” Grassette said.

There will be no cost for a person to make a request from Santa. But throughout the day, a bake sale will be held, along with a craft fair, papermaking demonstrations, face-painting, caroling, music, concessions, games and photos. Grassette hopes Santa will show up for the event.

A magic show, with at least six magicians from the Society of American Magicians, an organization Grassette, a magician, and his daughter, Kaitlyn, belong to, will begin at 1 p.m. in Muskie Auditorium. Kaitlyn is captain of the majorettes and president of Mountain Valley’s senior class.

Grassette works as an electrician at NewPage Corp. paper mill, which is donating three huge sheets of paper, each weighing more than 51 pounds.

“This could be the wildest customer order we’ve ever filled,” said mill spokesman Tony Lyons. “We’ve never done anything like this.”

One sheet of paper will be for practice, which will take place at Grassette’s theater on Franklin Street on Sunday, Oct. 19. The second is for the final product and the third is for “if we mess up,” Grassette said.

He got the idea one day as he was walking past a paper machine after attending a teaching workshop in Bangor. He had been looking for some way to help raise money for majorettes and Project Graduation at Mountain Valley High School.

He thought at the time, “I bet I could do something with a large piece of paper,” he said Tuesday.

The attempt to set a world record involves many people. Grassette said Town Manager Len Greaney will officially measure the document and will be part of Grassette’s magic show.

The Pulp and Paper Resource Council has agreed to transport the rolled-up paper to the high school. Rumford Postmaster Tony Glazier has agreed to mail the letter, estimated to require 195 first-class stamps.

The day’s events will take up the high school’s gym, cafeteria and auditorium.

“We’ll attempt to set the world record for writing the largest single-sheet paper letter ever mailed to Santa in the North Pole,” Grassette said.

What: Letters to Santa

When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 29 (magic show at 1 p.m.)

Where: Mountain Valley High School

Activities: Magic show at 1 p.m.; bake sale, craft fair, music all day


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