RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon Helped Raise Thousands For Charity In 2007

The RE/MAX hot air balloon, one of the most widely recognized corporate symbols in the world, helped raise an estimated $10,000 for charity at 15 separate fundraising events in northern Illinois during 2007.

The primary charitable beneficiary of the RE/MAX balloon was Children’s Miracle Network (CMN), for which RE/MAX is the exclusive real estate sponsor. Most contributions to CMN made in northern Illinois go to support Children’s Memorial Hospital of Chicago. Contributions made in the Quad Cities and Sterling/Rock Falls areas benefit Children’s Hospital of Iowa.

Other not-for-profit groups that benefited from fundraisers at which the RE/MAX balloon was instrumental included:

* Operation Uplink, a VFW program offering prepaid phone cards to U.S. troops overseas;

* Franciscan Village, an assisted living community near Lemont, Ill.;

* Norridge Cares College Scholarship Fund and Ridgewood High School, both in Norridge, Ill.;

* Huntley High School in Huntley, Ill.;

* “As Good As Gold” Golden Retriever Rescue of Northern Illinois.

The balloon was employed in two ways to solicit contributions. In some instances, rides in the balloon were offered as prizes at live or silent auctions. In other cases, the balloon was used at outdoor events to give tethered rides (in which the balloon lifts off the ground about 30 feet but is restrained by ropes).

"This year, we expanded our balloon program, making our balloon and its crew much more widely available for a variety of events,” said Jim Merrion, regional director of RE/MAX Northern Illinois. “The balloon flew more than 100 point-to-point flights, and made more than 65 other appearances in 2007. Those appearances included RE/MAX corporate events and charity fundraisers, along with our School Balloon Program where the balloon and its crews visit a local school to help teach students about the science and history of hot air ballooning. We’re very pleased with the results of the expanded balloon program and intend to keep the RE/MAX balloon a familiar sight in the skies.”