Sky high

Balloons continue to fly despite down economy


QUEENSBURY -- For the past five years, Harry Collison has flown with the name Talk of the Town on the side of his basket.

But this year, his balloon carries the Panera Bread logo, instead of the Glens Falls establishment.

Collison, a commercial pilot and owner of Two Angels Hot Air Balloon Team from Coatesville, Pa., said it’s hard to remember everyone who has sponsored him over his last 16 years at the Adirondack Balloon Festival.

Many sponsors, Collison said, had to drop out this year due to the economy.

"If you have to make pay cuts, you’re probably not going to sponsor a balloon," he said.

Local and national businesses sponsor balloonists to offset the cost of holding the festival, which co-founder and treasurer Joan Grishkot said costs roughly $100,000 to put on each year.

Gishkot said sponsors pay $525 to cover a balloonist’s hotel room, propane and a meal or two over the weekend.

Down a few from past years, Grishkot said there 76 sponsors, a decline due to the recession. Each sponsor also receives a half-page ad in the festival program, which is sold to festivalgoers.

So far this year, Grishkot said program sales are "soft."

Sponsoring a balloon does get you an ad in the program and your business name of the basket, but one local sponsor said the advertisement is not entirely about drumming up business.

"Our name is out there, but I do it more for the fun of it," said Allen Powers, of Allen Powers CPA in Glens Falls, which does income tax preparations, financial services and accounting for small businesses.

Powers and his brother-in-law’s business, Fones Tree Service in Glens Falls, sponsor two balloons owned by Ken Griswold and his wife, Amy, the owners of Champagne Balloon Adventures in Alexandria Bay.

Powers said he’s been sponsoring Griswold for the last 15 years and even if doesn’t get a lot of business from it, he said he gets more than his money’s worth in camaraderie.

Sponsors also receive two free rides from their balloonist and Powers said he can still remember not only his first flight, but also the first balloon he went up in 12 years ago.

"It was a black balloon that had the Playboy bunny on it. We didn’t know that was on the balloon until he inflated it," he said with a smile.

"We even got a little Playboy balloon pin," he said.

Although Powers is able to ride each year for free, he said he’s only been up three or four times total.

"I usually let others who haven’t gone up before enjoy it," he said.

Sponsor or no sponsor, a balloon flight really depends on the support from mother nature.

"If you have to make pay cuts, you’re probably not going to sponsor a balloon," he said.

Local and national businesses sponsor balloonists to offset the cost of holding the festival, which co-founder and treasurer Joan Grishkot said costs roughly $100,000 to put on each year.

Gishkot said sponsors pay $525 to cover a balloonist’s hotel room, propane and a meal or two over the weekend.

Down a few from past years, Grishkot said there 76 sponsors, a decline due to the recession. Each sponsor also receives a half-page ad in the festival program, which is sold to festivalgoers.

So far this year, Grishkot said program sales are "soft."

Sponsoring a balloon does get you an ad in the program and your business name of the basket, but one local sponsor said the advertisement is not entirely about drumming up business.

"Our name is out there, but I do it more for the fun of it," said Allen Powers, of Allen Powers CPA in Glens Falls, which does income tax preparations, financial services and accounting for small businesses.

Powers and his brother-in-law’s business, Fones Tree Service in Glens Falls, sponsor two balloons owned by Ken Griswold and his wife, Amy, the owners of Champagne Balloon Adventures in Alexandria Bay.

Powers said he’s been sponsoring Griswold for the last 15 years and even if doesn’t get a lot of business from it, he said he gets more than his money’s worth in camaraderie.

Sponsors also receive two free rides from their balloonist and Powers said he can still remember not only his first flight, but also the first balloon he went up in 12 years ago.

"It was a black balloon that had the Playboy bunny on it. We didn’t know that was on the balloon until he inflated it," he said with a smile.

"We even got a little Playboy balloon pin," he said.

Although Powers is able to ride each year for free, he said he’s only been up three or four times total.

"I usually let others who haven’t gone up before enjoy it," he said.

Sponsor or no sponsor, a balloon flight really depends on the support from mother nature.

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