Up, up and away! SFWI’s first ever virtual balloon race!

We love the excitement of a good old balloon race – adding your name tag to a balloon, then crossing your fingers that it gets found in some far off location, or simply that it has made it out of the field without popping on a nearby tree!

Plastic balloons pollute the planet and with the need to protect our precious helium resources, traditional Balloon Races are no longer an environmentally friendly activity.

So, we’re getting involved in a virtual balloon race lasting 7 days, with virtual balloons being ‘launched’ from Jerusalem Old City on Sunday 4th April at 12pm.

There are prizes for the 3 balloons that “travel” the furthest. To take part, you buy a virtual balloon which you are then able to ‘customise’ by changing various parameters of the balloon size, shape and composition to enhance your chances of winning.

The race is ‘real’ inasmuch as the organisers use actual weather conditions over the 7 days but they only fly high in the sky virtually and so your eco-friendly balloon simply disappears upon completing its journey, wherever that may be.
Once your virtual balloon has been “released”, you can follow its progress on Google Maps and see how it fairs against the elements. The race will feature balloons from a number of charities, all competing to see whose will get the furthest!

Balloons cost £3.00 each and can be bought here.

You can read the FAQ’s here or if you have any other questions, please email the SWFI office on info@surreyfedwi.org.uk.

back to News