First the NJCAA Division II Men’s National Basketball Tournament was cancelled, and now Balloons Over Vermilion will not occur this year.
Pat O’Shaughnessy and Jim Anderson, co-chairs of Balloons Over Vermilion, noted the Covid-19 virus has changed our lives, our outlooks and our concerns for friends, families and businesses.
‘’Unfortunately, the date of July 10, 2020 continues to approach. We are not able to, nor are we willing to, ask sponsors to make financial commitments under the current circumstances. Contracts for services cannot be signed in good faith, volunteers cannot be solicited, and balloonists cannot be tied to an event that may not happen,’’ said the joint statement from Anderson and O’Shaughnessy.
‘’If we knew the ‘all clear’ date, we could estimate if it would allow enough time to complete all the tasks necessary to provide the quality event that the community has embraced. But no one knows the ‘all clear’ date and it pushes closer to our event date with each passing day,’’ they added. The statement noted the decision to cancel this year’s event was made by the Balloons Over Vermilion Board of Directors.
‘’Since its inception, Balloons Over Vermilion has been a professionally organized, community-based family event. It has been made possible by the dozens of generous sponsors who support the event every year. Today, many of those sponsors are concerned with keeping their businesses open in a very trying time. Whether open or closed, they are attempting to protect and pay their employees while continuing to wonder what the future holds for them, their employees and their livelihoods. Asking sponsors to support a community event at a time when they find themselves struggling to support such significant human factors would certainly not be in the best interests of our community as a whole,’’ added the statement.
‘’Vermilion County is yet to experience its first case of the Covid-19 virus. We are fortunate in this regard, but also mindful that a mass gathering like Balloons Over Vermilion attracts visitors, participants and vendors from across the nation. Protecting the health and welfare of our residents and guests is a commitment we do not take lightly, and one which weighed heavily on our decision,’’ added Anderson and O’Shaughnessy.
