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Date: 12/15/2022
SPRINGFIELD – Judy Matt, the president of the Spirit of Springfield, said her organization is considering how to bring the Big Balloon Parade back next year, but minus the balloons.
This year, the Spirit of Springfield was forced by the shortage of helium to cancel the parade conducted annually on the day after Thanksgiving in downtown Springfield, she explained to Reminder Publishing.
“I don’t want to lose it,” Matt said. “We want some sort of parade.”
Due to the scarcity of helium, Matt said the cost for each of the nine balloons scheduled for the parade would have been $45,000 per balloon.
What the Spirit of Springfield has gone through is reflected in parades across the country, she added. The owners of the balloon rental company used by the organization is “kind of devastated” by the development.
Although area businesses help make the parade possible every year through sponsorships, Matt said there was no way to ask for the money necessary for the balloons.
The alternative for helium filled balloons are cold air inflatables such as the ones homeowners have for Christmas decorations in their front yards. These inflatables are mounted on a trailer with a pump to keep air flowing into the balloon. Matt has been in the process of getting approval for a custom Cat in the Hat inflatable, but she has not yet received design approval from Dr. Seuss Enterprises, the copyright holders.
An inflatable would cost $10,000, but there are additional costs for the trailer.
When asked about how Macy’s could stage its traditional Thanksgiving Day parade, she explained the company has a helium storage system, that pumps the gas out of the balloons and into tanks allowing them to re-use much of the gas. This is beyond the financial capacity of The Spirit of Springfield.
Matt also said that in Europe some parades are using hydrogen, which is flammable, and not something Matt would consider.
With helium a necessary component to operate MRI units in hospitals, Matt said that the disposal of helium after the parade by simply releasing it into the air is not something she wants to do.
The Spirit of Springfield is now considering a parade that might be on a different day with a different feature. One suggestion has been an early evening parade with lighting displays, Matt said.
“You never want to lose anything,” she said.