Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 08/02) - The world's largest hokey pokey challenge is set to begin, and three NWT schools are ready to shake it all about along with them.

The challenge is being presented by the Foundation for Active Healthy Kids and the Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, with the support of several provincial and territorial organizations.

The association's school health quality manager Jodie Lyn-Harrison says the Guinness world record for the most participants doing the hokey pokey at once is their's for the taking.

More than 131,000 participants from 430 schools across Canada have signed up, with more still coming in, to do the hokey pokey simultaneously tomorrow at 1:15 p.m., eastern daylight time.

The current record is only 6,748 participants, set in Ireland in 1998.

There is one ulterior motive, besides breaking the world record, says Lyn-Harrison.

The hokey pokey will correspond with World Health Day activities, which was celebrated yesterday.

"Because it's fun," says Lyn-Harrison. "It's a physical activity that everyone can do. You can do it in the classroom, the gym, or in the hallway."

The three NWT schools taking part: Fort Providence's Deh Gah elementary school, Hay River's Harry Camsell school, and Norman Wells' Mackenzie Mountain school, can hardly wait for the day to arrive.

"We got a karaoke machine with that song on it," says Harry Camsell principal Gordon Miller.

"I play guitar, so maybe I'll play guitar to it."