Ripley's To Award World's Largest Chewed Gumball

Art & Coin TV's Barry Chappell To Receive Award Thursday

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Jan 25, 2012, 08:03 ET

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- After six years, Barry Chappell has created something that truly needs to be seen to be believed. Weighing in at 175 pounds and measuring 62" in circumference, Chappell has sculpted a giant ball made entirely of chewed Nicorette gum.

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Chappell was a heavy smoker for many years, but his life changed fifteen years ago when his son was born. He immediately quit smoking, switching to Nicorette gum as a means of transition, but it soon became much more. What began as a promise to his family soon turned into a crazy adventure that would eventually set a world record.

It all started on a long flight to Europe in 2006—Chappell had nowhere to throw away the piece of gum he was chewing, so he rolled it into a tiny ball. Throughout the flight the ball slowly grew, as layer after layer was carefully molded upon the last. By the time the flight landed, Chappell vowed to create the world's largest gumball!

"What started out as kind of a joke between my daughter and me has turned into a really fun project over the last few years," said Chappell of how the gumball started.

95,200 pieces of Nicorette gum later, Chappell has reached his goal, and Ripley's Believe It Or Not! is coming to Art & Coin TV to make it official and present their first-ever award for the World's Largest Medicated Gumball. Art & Coin TV co-owner Barry Chappell – who also hosts the Fine Art Showcase and the Coin Show Spectacular – will proudly feature Vice President of Exhibits & Archives Edward Meyer as a special guest this Thursday, January 26^th, at 8pm EST / 5pm PST. Tune in to see Meyer present Chappell with the "World's Largest Medicated Gumball" award, and meet the man who sculpted it!

To find out more about the World's Largest Medicated Gumball and the Ripley's Believe It Or Not! award visit http://www.ripleys.com/weird/daily-dose-of-weird-wtf-blog/unbelievable-but-true/worlds-largest-ball-of-chewed-gum. You can watch the live presentation on DirecTV channel 223, or live at http://www.artandcointv.com on Thursday, January 26^th, at 8pm EST / 5pm PST.

For more information about the ball or Barry Chappell, and for more images or appearances, please contact Christi Lazar at [email protected] or (424) 212-8413.

Related Links:
Art & Coin TV
More About The Gumball

SOURCE Art & Coin Television, LLC