Boise Students Hurl 145,000 Marshmallows for World Record

Picture 600 middle schoolers armed with bags of marshmallows, facing off on a makeshift battlefield behind their school. That's exactly what happened Friday at Les Bois Junior High in Boise, Idaho, where students shattered a 13-year-old world record while championing mental health.

The students hurled 2,270 pounds of marshmallows at each other, roughly 145,000 fluffy projectiles in total. The previous record of 2,000 pounds was set by a Utah junior high back in 2011.

The epic marshmallow showdown wasn't just about breaking records. Hope Squad, a peer-to-peer leadership class focused on mental health and wellbeing, organized the entire event to help students feel like they belong.

"The Hope Squad creates events to make people feel like they belong," said teacher Jobecka Thompson. The peer group works to make the school a safe space where students can openly discuss mental health.

Local grocers, students, and community members donated all the marshmallows. The students split into two teams with a "no man's land" zone between them, then let the sugary ammunition fly.

Ninth grader Jocelyn Meissner helped plan the event and watched her vision come to life. "All the work we put into it was worth it," she said. "Everyone was together as one community."

The Ripple Effect

After the last marshmallow landed, Hope Squad students led the cleanup effort, living out their mission of service and community care. The world record attempt has been submitted to the Book of Alternative Records for official verification.

Thompson sees the event as proof that small actions create big change. "If you can show up and do small acts like bringing a bag of marshmallows, you can make a change in the world," she said.

What started as a fun world record attempt became something deeper: 600 students united in joy, supporting a mission to normalize mental health conversations and ensure every student feels they belong.