It was a typical Saturday on 21st street. Weekend shoppers milled around the downtown streets, enjoying the spring weather. And then all of a sudden, people swarmed from all directions… to start dancing.
It's called a flash mob. People assemble in a public place to perform an unusual act, and then disperse. This one was organized by a health products company. Flash mobs like the one in Saskatoon took place at the same time in cities across North America.
Amy Friesen, the organizer of the mob, says the purpose is just to do something sun. "It's basically about celebrating health and being active and having fun."
Meanwhile, earlier in the day another record attempt was made. This one for the number of cloth diapers changed at the same time. Over 5000 people in 10 countries rolled up their sleeves for this record.
Anna Cole says the record attempt was made to show cloth diapering as an alternative to commercial diapers. "We're trying to promote cloth diapering as a viable alternative that's simple and easy and good for everybody."
Whether it's a marketing stunt or to bring attention to an issue, organizers say flash mobs and world record attempts are a new and exciting way to get your message across.
And it seems to work. This year, the Great Cloth Diaper Challenge expanded to five more countries and thousands more people.
