Balloons Around the World Day

Balloons Around the World Day highlights the act of giving, brings smiles to thousands of faces, and showcases the work of artists who sculpt, twist, and decorate balloons. Balloons shaped like animals, hats, and other objects are given out for free or are exchanged for donations to organizations and local causes. Public balloon sculptures are also created.

Jeff Brown of Juneau, Alaska, organized Balloons Across America Day in 2000. He brought together balloon twisters and asked them to give away twisted balloons for an hour. The response went beyond what he imagined. It turned into an all-day event around the world, where balloon artists performed and taught twisting, and made large balloon displays. Over 300 twisters participated, in schools, libraries, hospitals, malls, grocery stores, and on the street. They were located in 43 states, in Guam, Italy, Germany, France, Singapore, and Canada, and on a US Navy ship in the Pacific Ocean. After the day's successful global reach, it was changed to Balloons Around the World Day for its second year.

Brown didn't choose the first Wednesday in October for any specific reason, but he did find out it was during Universal Children's Week and National Pizza Month, which he thought fitting. He also thought early October was a time of the year when balloon artists would have more time because kids were back in school, but it was far enough before the end-of-the-year holiday rush.

An effort was made to get several governors to make proclamations in honor of the day, of which there was some success. For example, Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner signed a proclamation designating October 3, 2001, as Balloons Around the World Day. A balloon twister appeared at the Dover Library, and then at the Market Street Mall in Wilmington, where donations were accepted for the American Red Cross. There also was a large balloon display at the Wilmington Institute Library. All these years later, and all around the world, balloons are still being twisted into animals and hats and being built into sculptures on Balloons Around the World Day.

How to Observe Balloons Around the World Day

If you are a balloon twister, twist balloons for free or to raise money for a cause or organization in your community. You could also collaborate with other balloon twisters to make a sculpture with many balloons in a public place like a library or mall. Spread the word about the day by putting out a press release or having an organization you are raising money for doing so. You could also contact local public officials and encourage them to proclaim it as Balloons Around the World Day. If you don't know how to twist balloons, you could spend some time learning how to do so. Then, check to see if there are any Balloons Around the World Day events happening in your community, where you could have a professional balloon twister make you and your children a hat or an animal.

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