Chicopee tosses out cell phones in style

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) - Chicopee's Fest-Of-All at Szot Park wound up on a competitive note Sunday. Cell phone owners came out to see how far they could toss their old cell phones.

Event Organizer James Demers told 22News it was a fun way to get rid of old phones. "It would be nice to find a way to get rid of all the old cell phones and get them recycled appropriately," said Demers.

Competitors tossed their cell phones in hopes of surpassing the world record set by a person who tossed his cell phone 300 feet, the length of a football field. They gave it their best throw but the record was in no danger of falling.

Demers told 22News, cell phone tossing can be traced back to Finland in the year 2000.

The Chicopee Fest-Of-All committee embraced it as its own when they saw how successful it was in South Hadley last year.

People threw their cell phones not in anger over lost service, but because of cash prizes to purchase a new cellphone. The idea being that if you have to give up your aging cell phone for recycling you may as well do it in style.