Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
You have to see it to believe it!
Baker Youth Club (BYC) invites the community, local media, families and puzzle enthusiasts to a grand opening celebration unveiling a 60,000-piece Dowdle puzzle now permanently on display at BYC.
The massive puzzle stretches approximately 29 feet wide and 8 feet tall and depicts Dowdle’s colorful “What a Wonderful World,” according to a news release from BYC. The completed work is recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest single-image jigsaw puzzle, making its new home at BYC a truly unique attraction for the Warsaw and Kosciusko County community.
The grand opening celebration will be from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8 at BYC in Warsaw.
Guests will have the opportunity to see the puzzle up close, meet the individuals behind the project, take photos and hear the story of how 60,000 individual pieces became one incredible work of art, according to the release.
Friends Kevin DeGraff, Heidi DeGraff and Leon Brenneman spent nearly three years bringing the puzzle to life. The puzzle arrived in 60 separate 1,000-piece sections, with each section requiring approximately 16 to 24 hours to complete. Another 100-plus hours went into gluing, mounting, glass installation and framing, bringing the total project to approximately 1,400 hours.
And completing the puzzle was only part of the challenge. Displaying a finished puzzle nearly 30 feet wide required creativity, teamwork and plenty of determination.
“The result is spectacular,” the release states.
Even more meaningful is the decision to make BYC the puzzle's permanent home as BYC celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2026.
The puzzle is more than an impressive display. Its thousands of individual pieces coming together to create something remarkable reflect a message BYC hopes every young person who walks through its doors will carry with them: Big things are possible when we work together, stay determined and understand that every single piece matters, according to the release.
The display fittingly includes the message from 1 Corinthians 12:12 (NIV),“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body.”
BYC invites local media, community leaders, families, supporters, alumni and anyone who loves a great challenge to join them for the grand opening celebration.
Come see 60,000 pieces assembled into one unforgettable picture and help BYC celebrate a one-of-a-kind addition to BYC during a historic year for the organization.
