Mar 21, 2009
Local Musician Smashes Guinness Record(tm) for Longest Consecutive Drum Roll and Raises funds for National MS Society
Unofficial Time of 4 Hours, 6 Minutes, 10 Seconds Triples Existing Record
San Carlos, CA – Saturday, March 21 - Chris Anthony, San Francisco Bay Area musician, broke the existing Guinness World Record(tm) for the longest individual drum roll during the charity event “The Beat Rolls On!“ today at the Tierra Linda School in San Carlos, CA. Starting at 9:16 a.m., Anthony beat the existing record of 1 hour, 22 minutes, 5 seconds at 10:38 a.m. before stopping at 1:22 p.m. While the record award has yet to be verified by Guinness, Anthony’s time of 4 hours, 6 minutes, 10 seconds, more than triples the previous record.
At the conclusion of the performance, Chris was recognized by San Carlos Mayor Bob Grassilli and Janelle Del Carlo, Executive Vice President of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Northern California Chapter.
“I am proud that a member of our community has helped focus attention on such a worthy cause,” commented Grassilli. “A shining example of the community spirit of San Carlos, Chris has shown how much one person can accomplish when you set your mind to it.”
“The National MS Society is grateful for Chris’s continued commitment to helping us create a world free of MS,” added Del Carlo. “His love of family and his passion for drumming have come together to create yet another fantastic community event raising almost $10,000 dollars.”
Following his record breaking performance, Chris led a cast of musicians, students and members of the local community in a public drumming for dollars fundraiser to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Northern California Chapter. The day’s activities also included a silent auction and raffles for valuable prizes donated by many Bay Area businesses, restaurants, wineries and community service organizations.
“While my arms started to go numb shortly after breaking the existing record, by the time I tripled that mark I felt elated, rejuvenated and ready for more,” said Anthony. “We had a great turn out and were able to raise awareness as well as much needed funds for the battle against MS,” he added.
In 1976, Chris’s father, Gary Anthony, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. In 2000, his sister Kathy was also diagnosed with MS. Chris’s love and compassion for his family combined with an innate desire to give back continues to drive his personal fight against MS. Chris has organized numerous charity events in support of the National MS Society, including golf tournaments and a bowl-a-thon, raising nearly $30,000. Chris was honored for his fund raising achievements by the National MS Society at their annual awards dinner in 2004.
Funds in support of Chris's world record-breaking performance are still being accepted.
About Chris Anthony
Anthony received a snare drum for Christmas at age six and the stage was literally set… music was destined to be a huge part of his life. He earned a Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music where he studied under world renowned percussionist Michael Rosen. Anthony moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1989 to work on commercial music projects and spent 11 years as Music Director for From The Heart Music, an after school music program for children. Currently, he is the sole proprietor of True Beat Music Services, which provides private instruction in percussion and piano. He is also an active freelance percussionist and plays with the classic rock & roll band, “The Conniptions”.
About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system, interrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S. and over 2.1 million worldwide.
About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. We help each person address the challenges of living with MS. In 2007 alone, through our home office and 50 state network of chapters, we devoted over $136 million to programs that enhanced more than one million lives. To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested over $50 million to support 440 research projects around the world. We are people who want to do something about MS now. Join the movement at www.NationalMSsociety.org