Groundbreaking draws crowd of 1,374

Braced for cold and wind on March 11, the Larimer County Fairgrounds and Events Complex hosted 1,374 people at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Thomas M. McKee 4-H Youth and Community Building.

With a wind chill near 15 degrees at the fairgrounds, 4-H and community supporters spread out on a vacant field and simultaneously plunged their shovels and spades into the ground. Organizers were aiming to topple a Guinness World Record set on Sept. 27, 2003, when 2,453 people broke ground for the Providence Newberg Medical Center in Oregon.

In contrast with the below-freezing temperature at the Loveland event, Newberg temperatures reached nearly 100 degrees for its groundbreaking.

The new 4-H and youth building will be 25,700 square feet with an estimated cost of $4.32 million.