On February 10, 2024, in the city of Chillán, the Seventh-day Adventist-operated ADRA Chile assembled the largest bed in the world, measuring at 19.52 meters (approx. 64 feet) by 32.72 meters (approx. 107 feet) and weighing in at over 15 tons, beating the Guinness World Record, which was registered in 2011 in the Netherlands.

The feat was made possible thanks to the joint work of the humanitarian agency ADRA, 6,000 Pathfinders who participated in the sixth National Camporee in Chile, and private companies. They all gathered on the campus of the Adventist University of Chile to work for the initiative that seeks to make visible the need of many children and adolescents nationwide and worldwide: to have a bed of their own.

Much of the material used for the construction of the bed was collected thanks to the contribution of donors, and each piece will have a new use: The wooden planks will be reused to complement parts of houses in deteriorated conditions; the mattresses were lent by the Pathfinders who were camping in the place; and the blankets, made for the occasion, will be given to children and adolescents in vulnerable circumstances when they receive a complete new bed from ADRA (where sheets, new foam mattresses, a pillow, and blanket will be included).

The full list of measurements of the "World's Largest Bed" (equivalent to a 5-a-side soccer field) and other related data is as follows:

• Bed's backrest height: 6 meters (approx. 19.7 feet)

• Base height: 2.5 meters (approx. 8.2 feet)

• Width: 19.52 meters (approx. 107 feet)

• Length: 32.72 meters (approx. 107 feet)

• Pillow: 18 meters (approx. 59 feet) long (equivalent to four family vehicles)

• Total weight of the bed: 13,800 kilograms (approx. 30,400 pounds)

• 148 scaffolding bodies

• 380 metal planks

• 4,825 screws and 1,622 drilling screws

• 680 technical hours

• 56 assembly volunteers

• 171 liters (over 45 gallons) of paint

• 184 blankets (down-filled)

• 250 meters (approx. 820 feet) of sheets

• 180 mattresses

One Child, One Bed Campaign

The main purpose of this record is to raise funds for the ADRA-led annual campaign One Child, One Bed, through which donations are sought to purchase new beds for children and adolescents who are in poverty, affected by disasters, or in vulnerable conditions of rights (violence, abuse, abandonment, neglect, etc.).

ADRA is a humanitarian aid agency that has been working in the world for more than 40 years and in Chile for 37 years. Its work is to respond when catastrophes arise and provide assistance to vulnerable sectors. Every day, it assists more than 3,600 children and adolescents in Temporary Shelter Families programs, a commitment sustained for three decades. It also works to promote economic development, safe water and food, and emergency response, among other lines of action.

Diego Trincado, national director of ADRA Chile, commented on the record: "The result is incredible when the work is collaborative. The challenge was immense, 14 [metric] tons of material and 400 square meters, together with the contribution of mattresses by the campers to beat the current record. More than the record, which is otherwise spectacular, we are motivated by working from our humanitarian agency for the welfare of the children and adolescents of our country."

To support One Child, One Bed, you can donate at www.adra.cl or by transfer to the following bank account:

Name: ADRA Chile

BCI Bank

RUT: 70.051.600-8

Current Account No.: 35402750

Email: [email protected]

Subject: One Child, One Bed

Watch the video of this world record on ADRA Chile's Instagram account.

The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division Spanish-language news site.