Elissa Hudson wants Kansas University to smooch its way into the record books on Friday.

Hudson, co-coordinator of this year’s KU Homecoming festivities, has added a new twist to the “Late Night in the Phog” basketball kickoff — convincing enough couples to kiss to get a listing in the Guinness Book of World Records.

The current record of 1,588 couples is held by a group from Sarnia, Ontario, though the mark has been challenged by several kissing masses in the last year.

“Allen Fieldhouse seats many more people than that,” Hudson said. “I don’t think we’re going to have any problem. The couples have to kiss for 10 seconds and then they’ll have to sign a sheet of paper verifying they did it.”

The lip-locking, which will occur about 8 p.m. Friday, is one of several new events that organizers hope will freshen up KU’s Homecoming events, which begin at 9 a.m. today with the Spirit Sprint 5K run/walk at the Burge Union.

And it doesn’t hurt that students may be as pumped about Oct. 18’s football game against Baylor — which has a 1 p.m. kickoff — as they are about the skits and scrimmage to kick off the basketball season on Friday.

“Homecoming is definitely very focused on football, and so that’s adding a lot this year, that the football team is doing so well,” Hudson said. “Hopefully after we beat Colorado (today), wouldn’t it be great to have a sellout crowd?”

This year’s Homecoming is more focused on community involvement than in the past. A group of 150 to 200 students are expected to help out from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at area nonprofit agencies.

They’ll clean at Jubilee Cafe, weed flower beds at the Boys & Girls Club sites, visit the elderly at nursing homes and do landscaping at Health Care Access.

“We want to give students a one-day chance to see a lot of different types of service,” said Kaelyn Fox, co-director for the Center for Community Outreach. “We hope they enjoy what they do and come back and do more community service.”

Other events scheduled for Homecoming:

• Mural contest, with the theme “Jayhawk Generations: Bringing Back the Classics,” which will be on display starting Tuesday.
• Homecoming pep rally at Memorial Stadium, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday.
• Craziest fan contest, with judging at noon Friday at Wescoe Beach.
• Homecoming parade, 10 a.m. Oct. 18 down Jayhawk Boulevard, with grand marshal Danny Manning.