COLUMBIA — On Saturday, community members who wish to bring the Google fiber-optic broadband trial service to Columbia will participate in a flash mob at the MU-KU basketball game.
The game will be broadcast on CBS from 1 to 3 p.m. central time, and the flash mob will take place during the first time out of the second half of the game.
A flash mob is when a group of people gather for a brief time to perform an activity, such as a sudden dance party.
“I think it’s going to demonstrate that Columbia’s got extreme deep grassroots,” organizer Scott Wendling said.
Flash mob participants will hold up signs carrying slogans to welcome Google to Columbia. A sign-making party will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the Academy of Fine Arts, 3210 S. Providence Road, and will be followed by an after party at Tropical Liqueurs at 3805 S. Providence Road.
Wendling said businesses have supported the event. Shakespeare’s Pizza will donate pizzas for the sign-making party, and Blue Ribbon Vending will donate soda. Boone County National Bank will also sponsor 15,000 printed signs, the turnout expected for the game.
In an effort to attract Google, Topeka, Kan., Mayor Bill Bunten changed the name of the city to Google, Kan., for the month of March.
“While Topeka can have one person sign something and change their name, this takes several thousand people to coordinate,” Wendling said.