another inaccurate statement from Tom's memory...

Yes - and it is not only balloon releases. As stated before - the myth that single balloons that are released cause harm is being taught in our schools with no factual evidence to back it up.

It wasn't Tom's decision then as it would not be now. It wasn't his event as he seems to claim here.

Another Tom answer that does not take facts into account. The event was very carefully planned and executed. When you do outdoor events, the one area you cannot control is weather. Our job - for the United Way - was to deliver a certified Guinness World Record - which we did. There is no danger to aircraft from latex…

More speculation from someone that was strictly a hired hand on this event and has no knowledge of the many similar spectacular events that have been done since...

Once again - Tom speculating and making things up once again. He played no part in coming up with any of the systems described here. So nice too that he can take an event that was completely positive and fun for all the participants involved and make it into something that he refers to at torture. As a high school…

Not dangerous to the environment at all - the largest natural product that comes out of our rain forests and no harm done to the trees to produce it.

speculation again on Tom's part - happy to talk about the real reason that the United Way folks wanted to do this but want to address the claim that these balloons would harm any form of wildlife. The claim that latex balloons being released harm wildlife is one of the biggest urban myths ever told. A professionally…

100% biodegradable - impossible for latex balloons to not biodegrade

incorrect answer again - yes - some of the balloons traveled across the lake - only a portion of the balloons were caught in the rain and came back down for a brief period - once dry, they took off again. Thousands of the balloons had messages put on small pieces of paper (inside the balloons). This was done as a…

mostly correct here if you remove the "I" from designing the scaffolding system - many were involved with this part of the project...

again Tom taking credit here for a great deal if work and ideas that he had nothing to do with - project manager on BalloonFest - yes - creating and designing the jobs - no

Sorry that this is not a correct answer from Tom who is taking quite a bit of liberty here on my project to answer questions that he is not completely knowledgeable about. There is no shortage of helium in the world. U.S. reserves were running low and the usage of helium was increasing due to its usage in MRI…