You can be a part of history Wednesday as Lawrence attempts to set a record for the world’s largest community workout.

And who better to lead the charge than the man who’s been behind the bullhorn for the past 25 years, Don “Red Dog” Gardner.

“They told me how many people they’d like to see and I about fainted,” he said, “but OK, let’s try it.”

“I think it’s a pretty neat idea,” Gardner’s wife, Bev, said. “I was surprised when they came up with it. I didn’t know if it would really work or not, but in talking with the community, the word is out all over.”

The record-setting attempt is the work of the Douglas County Community Foundation’s LiveWell Lawrence initiative. The foundation received a grant to convene a group in Lawrence to come up with ways to make it easier for Lawrence residents to become more physically active and lead healthier lifestyles.

“We thought it would be a neat way to celebrate what (Don) and Bev have done in our community to improve the health and wellness of people here,” said Chip Blaser, Douglas County Community Foundation executive director.

Organizers are expecting thousands of people to turn out at 6 p.m. Wednesday at KU’s Shenk Recreational Sports Complex at Clinton Parkway and Iowa Street. Registration starts at 5:30 p.m. All participants will be required to fill out a waiver.

The event will not officially be certified by the Guinness Book of World Records, but no current record exists.

“We will be setting a record that hopefully other communities will try to break and emulate,” Blaser said.