THE FOLLOWING IS A BALLOONS OVER VERMILION/FESTIVAL OF TREES RELEASE
ABOVE: OSF president Ned Hill accepts $46,000 check from Balloons Over Vermilion/Festival of Trees.
Anyone who does anything to help a child is a hero to me.
– Fred Rogers
March 16, 2023
In 2022, Balloons Over Vermilion NFP, celebrated its sixth year of presenting summer’s hottest festival, as well as presenting for the second year Vermilion County’s holiday kickoff event, the Festival of Trees! We are extremely proud of all the wonderful contributions that these events bring to the community throughout the year.
Balloons Over Vermilion guests were treated to continuous live entertainment, a myriad of activities in Kids Zone, stilt walkers, fire spinners and, of course, a huge assortment of festival food. While the evening flight conditions did not allow for launches, crowds were enchanted by pilot “twinkles,” in which the balloon burners were fired both simultaneously and randomly, creating a wonderful evening show.
The 25th anniversary of the Festival of Trees event was celebrated with a record number of new sponsors and over 150 beautifully decorated trees and wreaths. Over 13,500 attendees embraced the holiday spirit, told Santa what they wanted for Christmas, created a holiday memento in the Children’s Craft area, munched on cookies and enjoyed numerous special events.
These events are made possible each year through the hard work of a team of dedicated steering committee members, the generous support of hundreds of sponsors and hundreds of volunteers. “Every year our community steps up and turns out for these wonderful family events and we sincerely appreciate them. Everyone who buys a ticket, enjoys a snow cone or a beer, strolls through the trees, visits the festival raffle house, or brings their family out to witness the splendor of a balloon launch, all play a part in its success” stated event co-chair Pat O’Shaughnessy. “The support these events receive from everyone involved only grows stronger
each year. Thanks to this outpouring of support, we are announcing today awards totaling $175,000 to 19 groups whose commitment to the youth and families of Vermilion
County mirrors our own,” he added.
Shelley Erickson’s 3rd Grade Schlarman Academy class has been chosen as this year’s Balloons Over Vermilion Ambassador Class.
2023 Balloons Over Vermilion, NFP Impact Award Recipients:
• Balloon Federation of America – Provide summer camp scholarships for aspiring young pilots with a grant of $1,500 – contact Dean Carlton
• Danville Public School Foundation – Host Student Ambassador Class grant of $2,500 – contact Bob Richard
• Danville Family YMCA – For the annual Strong Kids Campaign grant of $5,000 –contact Linus VanderWyst
• Children’s Dyslexia Center of East Central Illinois – Provide books and tables for students with a grant of $5,000 – contact Julie Boersma
• Kickapoo Mountain Bike Club – Expand trail system for both beginners and advanced cyclists with a grant of $5,000 – contact Troy Savalick
• Save the Lorraine Foundation – Provide support for family entertainment venue with a grant of $7,500 – contact Jim Richards
• Crosspoint Human Services – Expand youth mental health services with a grant of $7,500 – contact Lisa Rhodes
• First United Methodist Church of Hoopeston – Support “Feed My Lambs” meal program with a grant of $7,500 – contact Pastor Kathy Murphy
• Georgetown Ridge Farm High School Building Trades Department – Provide support for Building Trades classes with a grant of $7,500 – contact Wade
Anderson
• First Baptist Christian School – Support locker room upgrades with a grant of $7,500 – contact Ken Seest
• CASA of Vermilion and Edgar Counties – Support Advocate Outreach program with a grant of $7,500 – contact Elizabeth Mellen-Irle
• Women’s Care Clinic – Address transportation challenges faced by expectant parents with a grant of $8,000 – contact Mariah Hanson
• Peer Court – Provide second chance option for youth offenders with a grant of $7,500 – contact Katie Osterbur
• From Your Heart to Their Soles – Support county-wide footwear effort through the Regional Superintendent of Schools office with a grant of $7,500 – contact
Tricia Keith
• Boys and Girls Club of Danville – Support Power Hour tutoring/mentoring program with a grant of $9,000 – contact Rob Gifford
• Laura Lee Fellowship House – Support Ubundu mentoring program in Danville schools with a grant of $9,000 – contact Tricia Teague
• Danville AMBUCs – Support AMBUCs Summer Camp program with a grant of $9,000 – contact Jenna Wirth
• Vermilion County Trail Alliance – Underwrite establishment of extensive trail system adjacent to Harrison Park with a grant of $15,000 – contact Drew Landis
• OSF Sacred Heart Medical Center – Support patient room renovation project with a grant of $46,000 – contact Ned Hill
Event co-chair Jim Anderson stated, “Both events owe a huge thank you to Julius W. Hegeler II. He was perhaps the biggest kid of all at heart. He loved both events and was extremely generous with his resources in supporting them for years.”
A record amount of $175,000 in Community Impact Awards were granted on Thursday (March 16th), with a five year total of awards that has now reached $389,700. And as Jim Anderson told Neuhoff Media:
AUDIO: This is a community celebration of what the community has done. We couldn’t do this without the support of not only the volunteers and the sponsors, but everyone who comes out to the event and enjoys it. And like I said in my remarks; they can buy a cookie, they can buy a beer, they can buy a raffle ticket; but they’re support makes them part of our family.
Jim Anderson addressed Fischer Theater audience at start of program.
The day’s event concluded with Jaclyn Vinson, Balloons Over Vermilion’s Kids Zone chairman and Board member introducing the 2023 Host Student Ambassador class; Ms. Shelley Erickson’s 3 rd graders from Schlarman Academy Elementary School in Danville. She told Neuhoff Media:
AUDIO: It was a big surprise when I got notice about it, and I was very, very excited when I found out. But the biggest surprise was having to keep it from my kids. We like to talk about everything, and I had to wait for about three weeks to tell them.
Neuhoff Media also spoke to Santa Claus about his special March appearance in Vermilion County.
AUDIO: Very special time, and it’s a Festival of Trees/Balloons Over Vermilion impact celebration, where we get to give back a lot of money to the community. Some great organizations that we’re giving money back to; it’s just a pleasure for Mrs. Claus and me to come back from the North Pole to Danville, Illinois to be able to do this.
