PALM CITY — As a fairly recent Florida transplant, I’ve learned the Treasure Coast offers no shortage of things to do on a weekend. But I never expected one of them to involve a 400-foot Cuban sandwich.
That’s what happened Saturday, Sept. 12, at Lance Corporal Justin Wilson Memorial Park in Palm City, where House of Hope and Old Havana Café teamed up to take a bite out of hunger — and break the world record for the longest Cuban sandwich.
And yes, there was a lot of sandwich. It was quite a sight to behold.
By the time construction began around noon, community members, volunteers and sponsors were ready to assemble what organizers hoped would be a record-breaking behemoth of bread, ham, pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard.
The goal was to build a 400-foot Cuban sandwich, with its finished length independently measured and certified.
In full transparency, it was not a 400 foot loaf of bread. Rather, the organizers lined up 400 individual foot-long loaves, but each end had to be touching the other to keep things legit.
House of Hope CEO Rob Ranieri said the event shattered the previous record and raised more than $30,000 for the organization, which helps Martin County residents facing hunger and hardship.
The event was the brainchild of Jesus “Chucho” Rivero, owner of Old Havana Café in Stuart, who approached House of Hope with what Ranieri described as a “crazy idea.”
What started as a crazy idea quickly turned into a community-wide effort, with sponsors, volunteers and residents coming together for an event that combined food, fun and a serious mission.
September is Hunger Action Month, making the timing particularly appropriate.
House of Hope serves more than 30,000 people each month through food pantries, food assistance, enrichment programs, case management and other services designed to help residents move beyond immediate hardship.
Ranieri said the money raised was only part of the day’s success.
“The community really came out in support of it,” he said. “So many people who couldn’t be here still made donations.”
He said the event also helped shine a light on food insecurity and inspire people to get involved.
As the sandwich construction neared completion, Rivero and Ranieri snapped into action. Working as a team, they assembled the final section of the 400-foot masterpiece.
Then came the moment of truth.
Record officials stretched out a giant tape measure to determine whether the sandwich had reached its goal. When the measurement was confirmed, the crowd went wild.
And, of course, this was a Cuban sandwich event, so there was plenty of salsa dancing, music and dominoes.
Once the record-setting sandwich had been measured, portions were made available to the public.
The line was long, but event organizers were quick to press and heat the sandwiches before sending them out to hungry customers. And I can tell you the Cuban was excellent and worth a quick wait in line.
Rivero appeared genuinely moved by what had unfolded.
“Blessed,” he answered when I asked how he felt about the event.
“It’s amazing,” Rivero said. “With everything that’s happening around the world, this gives me a sense of renewal, of faith that we can do it, that we can give hope.”
And the sandwiches weren’t simply destined for the trash after the crowds went home.
Natasha Rayburn, House of Hope’s manager of enrichment and engagement, said leftover sandwiches would be distributed to House of Hope clients through its four food pantries in Jensen Beach, Stuart, Indiantown and Hobe Sound. Food also would be shared with partner organizations, including churches.
“It was a great success,” Rayburn said. “The community came together. It was wonderful.”
That may have been the best part of the whole event.
For as much Cuban sandwich as was served Saturday, an equally large portion went toward a good cause — raising money and awareness for people in the community who are struggling with food insecurity.
At the heart of the event was a simple idea: Bring people together, have some fun and help people who need it.
Not a bad recipe for a Saturday afternoon.