Various colors litter the baby blue sky as Tony Calabria, a Language
Arts teacher, observes his class’s balloons drift steadily toward the sun. Attached to each of the 35 balloons are different postcards written by the students with return addresses included for responses that continue to return year after year.

“I thought it would be great to create my own holiday,” said Calabria, who coined the day ‘Balloon Day.’ “We do it every year around this time, if the weather allows it of course.”

For 18 years and counting, Calabria has been releasing the special biodegradable balloons into the air and has received replies almost every time, usually getting three to four per semester.

“It’s so fun and simple,” said Calabria. “It’s easy to laugh and enjoy the process of Balloon Day.”

This year Calabria noticed something different about his class.

“Everyone was so invested in each other’s success,” said Calabria. “We were trying to help those whose balloons were trapped in trees, fences, and nets”

One of these helpful classmates was senior Chris Resta. When a fellow classmate, Grace White, got her balloon stuck in a tree, Resta took it upon himself to scale a 25 foot pine tree, through the brier bushes surrounding it, and rescue the balloon.

“I took action in saving Grace’s balloon because her balloon was the only one that didn’t make it out,” said Resta. “I felt bad, I glanced at Grace and she looked heartbroken so I did what was necessary and started my journey up the tree towards the balloon.”

Another classmate, Senior Drew Begin, also expressed his joy in the process.

“Balloon Day was totally radical,” said Begin. “It was such a fun alternative to having class that I got to enjoy with my homies and ‘Calabs’ .”

After a few days passed with almost non-stop raining, the class finally received a reply. Ironically, the first was to Grace’s post card that had been rescued.

“I was so glad Chris saved my balloon that day,” said Grace. “If he hadn’t rescued it I would never have gotten a reply!”

Though the class’s furthest reply this year was from Raleigh, previous classes have had postcards return from distances as far west as Hickory and as east as Newbern. It only shows how much fun a few balloons, a tank of helium and a class of high school students can achieve on a special class holiday called Balloon Day.

“I really liked Balloon Day because it helped our class become closer,” said Morgan Duncan. “It made us feel like a family.”