Flight1 and balloonist Jim Poling recently brought a lot of smiles to the National Kidney Foundation of Indiana’s 9th Annual Kidney Camp. The gathering allows children with kidney disease to enjoy a normal camp experience while having their medical needs met by professionals. Some 42 children ages 8 to 18 from all over Indiana converged on Camp Tecumseh in Brookston, IN for this year’s event.
“Our theme this year was ‘Up, Up and Away’ so having the balloon was perfect,” said Tricia Behringer of the Kidney Foundation. “The children absolutely loved helping hold it down and especially getting inside it. Their smiles in the pictures are priceless!”
(Click any pic to enlarge.)
Jim, a balloon pilot for six years, met Flight1 founder Marcus Strawhorn through a co-worker. “We felt a hot air balloon would be a good fit for Flight1,” Jim said. “The kidney camp experience was very positive. The kids and adults all had smiles on their faces and were amazed at the size of the balloon.”
Though gusty winds precluded flying, the children had a lot of fun and also got to learn about how balloons work.
– Russell Goutierez
Photos: Steven Fleenor
