Help Kimberly get to the Balloon Championships

Hello, my name is Michelle and I am raising funds to help my sister, Kimberly, realize a life-long dream and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fly her hot air balloon, Flame Buoyant, in the Women’s World Hot Air Balloon Championships in Western Australia at the end of August. A last minute cancellation from another pilot allowed her a spot on Team USA to participate in the championship! But she won’t be able to compete without your help and support.

Air freight for a balloon and basket cost up to $6000 and a round-trip ticket to Australia costs about $2500. We’re hoping to raise enough money to cover the cost for these two expenses to get her to the World Championship.

Ever since she was little, Kimberly loved balloons: Any kind of balloon! And when we moved to San Diego in the 1990’s she discovered Hot Air Balloons and they became her passion. At first she would ask our parents to drive her over to where they would launch the Balloons almost every evening to just watch them go up and come back down. Then she had her first flight as a passenger and that passion was solidified into her dream job.

She started out volunteering for any balloon pilot or company who welcomed her help and eventually started earning a small wage to crew for the balloon companies. Over the course of many years she got her pilot license and worked her way up to becoming a commercial hot air balloon pilot with all the hours necessary to fly for the balloon companies. A generous gift from our grandpa Ray allowed her to purchase a small hot air balloon and basket of her very own to fly. She designed the balloon herself with different aspects of the design in memory of our mother and our grandpa Ray who both passed just a few short years ago. They were always her biggest fans.

With her balloon, which she named Flame Buoyant, she started participating in various competitions around the US. And as you now know, she has amazingly earned one of the few spots on Team USA to go to the Women’s championships which are being held in Australia this year.

Please help her make a dream come true and be a part of getting “Team Shark” (Kimberly and her balloon) to the Women’s World Hot Air Balloon Championships in Northam, Australia from September 1-9th.

I thank you on her behalf for any support you can give.

Check out the teams and competitors here

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https://watchmefly.net/events/event.php?e=wworlds2023&v=pp&fbclid=IwAR0hF27kuphZHmhAOQ7CLzBQKhAbmJcc8II-xFASa5nUY4p7Wq0glSFKDsE_aem_ATL_akaEDmtxIG2pMJ9nC9cbOwb-RWds4WIuG4guiu0f76fMgNfZPlSNxGY403Jk4qU&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

Go #28!!!