The world’s heaviest ball of twine has made its home in the small town of Highland, Wisconsin. At 10 feet high, 22 feet wide and weighing in at more than 24,000 pounds, this oval-shaped sphere is believed to be the heaviest ball of twine in the world but it could soon be on the move.
For many residents in the community, the big ball of twine is worth its weight in gold. “It’s the heaviest ball of twine, it’s not the largest. You wouldn’t believe how many people saved twine for him,” said neighbor Terri Nelson.
Back in 1979, James Frank Kotera heard about a different ball of twine and decided then and there that he would create one that was bigger and better. For the next 40 years, the man spent most of his free time weaving pieces of twine into an enormous achievement.
“I think it’s great that he kept it up for so many years and stayed doing it for this many years. Every single day I’d drive by, it would be raining. I’d see him putting twine on this ball,” Nelson said.
Kotera’s creation soon started to get noticed, with people coming to see it from all over the world. Family members said Kotera, who usually went by his initials JFK knew how to spin a yarn to anyone who stopped by.
Sadly, Kotera passed away from bone cancer a couple of months ago but friends and neighbors have started an effort to preserve his life’s work. Since the property is expected to be sold, they want to move the ball of twine from his backyard to the town hall next to the transfer center, where Kotera worked and is named after him. This way, the public will still be able to view the massive achievement.
Nelson hopes her former neighbor’s hobby will continue to be the common thread for his community for years to come. “He would love it. He would be so thrilled to know people want to keep it and want to move it over. I’m sure he’s smiling because this was his life,” Nelson said.
The move is expected to cost around $10,000 so the town set up a GoFundMe in order to raise enough money to move the big ball of twine.
Source: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-move-jfks-twine-ball