did-you-kno:

Thousands of volunteers worked overnight to prepare for Balloonfest ‘86. Due to the threat of inclement weather, the balloons were released earlier than planned.

Sadly, what goes up, must come down… which caused a hell of a lot of problems. Rain caused the balloons to fall before they could spread out, which caused the closing of an airport runway, spooked some prize-winning horses, and created what the Coast Guard crew called an “asteroid field” of debris that prevented them from spotting the drowning fisherman. 

Money was raised, a world records was set, children were delighted, people were entertained, people were sued, people were killed, and millions of burst balloons eventually littered the ground.  But for charity! 

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