(Left to right) Cassandra Grodin, Co-owner of Cass and Nat Event Planning, Josh Iannetti, general manager of the Fort McMurray Giants and Tina Shi, Guinness World Record representative pose holding the world record title awarded to the Giants on August 1, 2026. Photo provided by Cassandra Grodin, Fort McMurray, Alta. August 10, 2026. Photo by Supplied photo /Postmedia Network

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The Fort McMurray Giants took home the Guinness World Record title for the largest gathering of people wearing Aloha (Hawaiian) shirts in a single venue, with 1,280 fans dressed in tropical gear, eager to break the record.

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On August 1, 2026, the Legacy Dodge Field transformed into a tropical arena as fans trooped into the stadium wearing Aloha (Hawaiian) shirts.

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The Orlando Bears had previously held the record for over two years, with 1,254 fans participating in their February 24 game against the Atlanta Gladiators in 2024.

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Jeff Batchelor, a sales representative from the Legacy Dodge Dealership, witnessed the action live and said the atmosphere of the game was the “best of the entire season.”

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“It was electric; the atmosphere, the energy and the whole place were incredible,” Batchelor said.

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As much as it was a record-breaking game, the Giants celebrated their ‘biggest night of the season honouring two longstanding members of the community: Henny Burchell and Lenny Hodder.

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In an online post made by the Fort McMurray Giants, Burchell and Hodder were remembered as “two men who spent their lives bringing people together.”

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A tradition, which was started by the families of the two men, where relatives would wear Hawaiian shirts to the games held in honour of Henny and Lenny, would become the baseball team’s first ever Guinness World Record.

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The local baseball team had been hosting themed games annually to honour Burchell and Hodder since their passing, but this game, Batchelor said, “felt spiritual.”

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Despite stormy conditions, and an unfavorable start to the game, the Giants secured a 9-11 win against the Brooks Bombers, a number which would turn out to be Burchell’s birthday.

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“We were down for most of the game, then we had a 45-minute rain delay, then we came back and pulled the most miraculous comeback ever,” he said.

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“There was like some spirits in the air.”

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Brian Jean, MLA for the Fort McMurray-Lac-La-Biche region, commended the win in an online post.

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A Facebook post MLA Brian Jean made, congratulating the Fort McMurray Giants and everyone involved in the Guinness record-breaking win. Fort McMurray, Alta. August 10, 2026. Screenshot retrieved from Facebook. Photo by Facebook /Postmedia Network

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To win the world record, the crowd had to meet a strict judging criterion; ‘Aloha’ shirts had to be short sleeved, buttoned from top to bottom, open-collared, have at least 3 colours, a tropical pattern and be commercially available i.e. store-bought.

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Upon entering the stadium, a stewardess verified shirts; fans were given a colour coded lanyard and then directed to the Bob Campbell field to be counted.

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T–shirts, pullovers with tropical prints, plaid and homemade shirts did not qualify to meet the criteria.

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Participants also had to stay in the attempt area for the full duration of the game.

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Cassandra Godin, Co-Owner of Cass and Nat event Planning, said she was proud to be involved in the planning process for what she described as a “powerful” game. Grodin said her team’s efforts truly paid off when they saw the excitement that fans brought to the game.