As a joke, 2 men spent 264 hours sitting in front of the charity
After 264 hours of sitting, Hein van de Pas and Niek van Rooij from Vessem are back on their own feet. With their action, they raised money for ALS Netherlands, according to the report AD news site.
Sunday afternoon at 3: 00, The Cool Wine Classic comes from that roof through the bowl of Vessem. After 264 hours of sitting, Van de Pas and Van Rooij carefully aim up from their seats. With a telescopic handler, the duo is taken off the roof with loud applause.
What started as a joke became a serious attempt to break the record of their village fellow Tinus van Heijst. It lasted 192 hours in 1975. The young duo remained glued to the chair for three more days on the roof of café Van de Ven.
“It went without a hitch”, says Stijn Liebregts about the record attempt. Van Rooij’s colleague and friend was part of the pair’s support team for eleven days. “Every night, two of us slept next to them on the top floor. The fixed task was to empty the urinals every day because they insisted on staying in their chair.”
Bedsores and thrombosis injections
To prevent complaints as much as possible, the two sat on a bedsore cushion. They gave themselves an injection every morning to prevent thrombosis. “After two days, we were so comfortable that we decided not to get out of the chair during the record attempt. We did not want to take any risks,” Van de Pas explains. “Weights kept the arm muscles in shape. My thighs have become somewhat narrower,” Van Rooij observes after eleven days.
In the past period, something was going on every day on the fairground opposite the café to attract visitors. And they also generously withdrew their wallets. The wrong bingo, for example, yielded 1700 euros. Also, part of the drink proceeds goes to ALS. And with donations via the site of the café, the target amount of over 11,000 euros has already been exceeded. The content of a ton of cash donations still has to be added.
“Our action was carried throughout the village. Everyone is enthusiastic. The whole day cars passed by with horns, and we could wave to passers-by”
Hein van de Pas, Dakzitter in Vessem.
The two of them expect peace and quiet to return to Vessem. Van de Pas: “Our action was carried throughout the village. Everyone is enthusiastic. Tractors from the region drove through the village on purpose the past few days. We have experienced that we were already awakened at 5:30 a.m. by the sound of a two-tone air horn. And all day long cars were honking by, and we could wave to passers-by”.
The record of Van Heijst went off the books as early as Thursday. “He then sat on the roof with us for two hours. He really liked the fact that we broke his record. He does think it’s a pity that it took so long before it happened”, says Van de Pas.
“It remains to be seen whether it will take that long again. We’ve already heard from enthusiastic primary school children that they’re going to attack our record later.”
