"Big Balloon Build" brings 125,000 balloons and world class artists to Greeley for good cause
Thousands of children who have experienced abuse and neglect across Weld County will have greater access to care thanks to the Big Balloon Build. The event, which attracts balloon artists from around the world, is taking place at Aims Community College through July 23.
Balloon artists from as far as Sweden have built a space-themed exhibit in Greeley using 125,000 balloons. Ticket revenue for the event is donated to Life Stories, a nonprofit that gives care and resources to children in Weld County that experience abuse or neglect.
"I'm here to make a difference in the Greeley community through the joy of balloons," said Tami Schroeder, a balloon artist from Wisconsin. "We come in and create a balloon wonderland."
Every year the Big Balloon Build is hosted in a different city around the world. This is the first time the event has been hosted in Colorado.
The balloons, which are donated, are all biodegradable, and only air is used to inflate them. No helium is used as a way to protect the environment.
The artists are divided into 12 teams and given a task to create a setup that followed this year's theme of outer space. Each team took a different approach to their setup, allowing creativity to thrive while also supporting a good cause.
"This is huge for us," said Sharon Eberhard, Community outreach Specialist for Life Stories Child and Family Advocacy. "We work with (abused or neglected children) to give them that voice, that opportunity for someone to say I believe you, I hear you, let's get help."
The balloon artists are not paid to participate in the event, nor is their travel or lodging covered. Every artist pays their own way to the event and donates their time to the cause of the year.
"We are representing those youth, we are not forgetting about them. We are lifting them up and giving them light," Eberhard said.
Allison Dunning is the local balloon artist who advocated for the event to take place in northern Colorado in 2023. She placed the bid to host the event in 2021 and was chosen. Dunning owns Balloon Art by Merry Makers in Weld County.
Dunning applauded the artists for giving up their time and energy to making this event successful.
"It is all donated. They leave their businesses, their family and their life to do this for their community," Dunning said. "It is important to me that we start talking about child abuse so we can bring light to the situation. It is not comfortable. But, we can talk about it, we can bring awareness and raise money for them. And, we can do it in a fun and joyous way."
The builders will wrap up their setup process on Thursday before a grand opening for the public. For more information on tickets visit: https://bit.ly/46Z3WaUa
"I can't wait for the public to see it, it will be fun," Schroeder said.
All of the balloons used in the event are later popped and shipped to New Jersey where they will be repurposed as yoga mats.
