Taylor Swift isn’t stopping in Saskatchewan during her upcoming Canadian leg of her “Eras Tour” but there’s no “Bad Blood” between the superstar and the province, whose residents are inspired by a popular Swiftie trend to pay it forward with a fundraiser and world record attempt.
It is customary at Swift’s concerts to trade friendship bracelets, so Saskatchewan’s most devout fans are attempting to fashion the world’s longest bracelet to show love for the superstar.
And, for every metre of the bracelet, Regina-based radio station Z99 has donated $100.
Currently the bracelet is about 1,200 metres long and has raised $140,000 for charity, including a $19,000 donation from employment services company Mosaic, Z99 radio host Greg, better known as Wheels, told Now Toronto.
While the record is yet to be verified by Guinness, it blows the current one out the water, which stands at just over 852 metres.
The fundraiser is part of a long-standing #BacktoSask campaign spearheaded by the radio station and Swift’s Saskatchewanian fans to catch the star’s attention after she publicly announced her love for the province the last time she visited back in 2009, tweeting that she enjoyed Saskatoon and mentioning on Oprah’s talk show that it’s a great place to go antique shopping.
“She [Swift] is on the internet professing her love for our province. So we thought, well, what if we work together and try to get her attention?,” Wheels said.
The fundraiser was the idea of a young Z99 listener named Holly, who with the help of the station has galvanized people from all over the province to come together at bracelet making events.
“Every dollar donated covers three meals and just makes such a huge impact. And of course, the tie-in to Taylor Swift is that wherever she goes on her tour, she donates to food banks. So, it’s incredible the impact that she’s having on our province without even being here,” he continued.
David Froh, vice president of the Regina Food Bank, told Now Toronto that the money “will enrich the core of our city, by providing a hub of art, sport, food distribution and community building.”
The food bank, which serves 4,300 per week, and about 17,000 people per month, also says the donation will enable it to run a School Food Program supporting 2,000 students with lunches, snack packs, pantries and summer hampers.
Swift grabbed headlines earlier this week after she endorsed presidential candidate Kamala Harris following her first election debate against Donald Trump.
“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for Kamala Harris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos,” Swift wrote, before ending with a cheeky sign off.
“With love and hope, Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady,” referring to vice president nominee JD Vance’s remarks directed at Harris back in 2021.
Swift is set to perform six sold-out shows at Toronto’s Rogers Centre between 14-23 Nov.
