Mass Balloon Releases

[Cheryl]

My childrens school are celebrating an anniversary this year and to raise money they have organised a mass ballon release at £1 a balloon with a £50 prize for the balloon that gets the furtherst - you know the kind of thing.

Whilst I realise that this is a quick way to raise funds relatively cheaply - and a lot of charities depend on things like this - my heart sank.

I said that if they wanted to join in they had to fund it themselves and explained that I didn't approve because of the possibility of birds/wildlife getting tangled up in the strings and sea creatures dieing because they eat the ballon bits thinking its some kind of jellyfish or what ever; and at the end of the day it just causes litter

I think my son took it on board as he is quite a sensitive lad - neither of them took part. I'm not really a mean Mum - just want my children to think about their actions

Sorry if there is already a thread about this kind of thing - I did have a quick flick but didn't come across anything

[hobble]

Schools should be setting an example about the environment to our children, not carrying out mass balloon fund raisers. I would have spoken with other like minded parents and composed a letter explaining the reasons behind not supporting such an event.
Well done for ensuring your children have the knowledge to make decisions about such things.

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by Cheryl

My childrens school are celebrating an anniversary this year and to raise money they have organised a mass ballon release at £1 a balloon with a £50 prize for the balloon that gets the furtherst - you know the kind of thing.

Whilst I realise that this is a quick way to raise funds relatively cheaply - and a lot of charities depend on things like this - my heart sank.

I said that if they wanted to join in they had to fund it themselves and explained that I didn't approve because of the possibility of birds/wildlife getting tangled up in the strings and sea creatures dieing because they eat the ballon bits thinking its some kind of jellyfish or what ever; and at the end of the day it just causes litter

I think my son took it on board as he is quite a sensitive lad - neither of them took part. I'm not really a mean Mum - just want my children to think about their actions

Sorry if there is already a thread about this kind of thing - I did have a quick flick but didn't come across anything

I entirely agree with your stance - I actually think that kind of thing is irresponsible now that we have been educated as to the possible consequences - rock bottom - putting aside the dead turtles - it is essentially littering! How can you encourage kids to pick up litter and release balloons at the same time!!!

Good for you perhaps one or two objections frompeople like yourself might make them think better - perhaps send in a note to make them think about something else - like the super goose thing they do in Autumn watch or if they do the Albatross 'race' again where they track a number of individuals as they move around the planet - where you can still run a sweep stake on who reaches the end of the migration first. see the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust website for more info

[Hobjob]

Absolutely right Cheryl.

I also wonder about the wastage of the helium.

Helium is extracted from natural gas, and when we run out
of that we will run out of helium unless other sources
come on line.

fortuneately it is not a greenhouse gas - most rises to the
very very outer parts of the atmosphere.

[Princess Otter]

Good for you, I agree entirely, I saw a mass balloon release in the paper being celebrated the other day and I was suprised that this type of thing goes on.

[2dogs2000]

I have a similar problem at the school I work at. They have a balloon race every year, which I am not happy about. I haven't raised my objections as yet, but would be grateful if other members could suggest alternative fundraising which would prove as popular as balloon races.
I have recently discovered that another colleague is also opposed to this type of fundraising and we are looking for alternatives to see if we can persuade the school to change its ways.

[Blackbrook Eye]

This is the sort of thing that should be raised at parent teacher association meetings, if they still exist, just to enlighten the organisers of the event who may not of thought it through before opting for the 'quick buck'. These fund raisers are usually organised by the teaching staff of the school and its asking a bit much to expect them to think for themselves.

Keith

[Princess Otter]

Originally Posted by 2dogs2000

I have a similar problem at the school I work at. They have a balloon race every year, which I am not happy about. I haven't raised my objections as yet, but would be grateful if other members could suggest alternative fundraising which would prove as popular as balloon races.
I have recently discovered that another colleague is also opposed to this type of fundraising and we are looking for alternatives to see if we can persuade the school to change its ways.

I've never been involved in one or particpated in one, how much would you expect to raise with this type of event? would a non-uniform day not do the trick? or a plant sale?

[Nicola Main]

We had our local gala day this past Saturday and the winner of the floats won by a sympathy vote because they released loads of balloons including a pink one for the woman officer who died recently. While it was touching in a way I couldn't help feeling a bit p***ed about the consequences this will have for all the wildlife of the land & sea.

[Blackbrook Eye]

It should not be difficult to prevent these events taking place, after all they are just a form of illegal fly tipping and legislation is already in place to enable prosecution of the perpetrators of such offences. As for alternative fund raising events, organised shoplifting, muggings, extortion and drug dealing, to name but a few, can be very remunerative and just as illegal but don't have the same environmental problems.

Keith