Ellen Grayson, the Director of Admissions at the Gateway School, wrote “more love less hate” and “one species” on her balloon that she released on 80th street and Amsterdam Avenue.
By Jessica Brockington
White balloons inscribed with prayers for the victims of Sunday’s massacre in Orlando lifted over the Upper West Side Monday afternoon.
Gene Nifenecker, owner of Balloon Kings, brought two large containers of helium to the corner of Amsterdam Avenue and West 80th Street. Under an enormous rainbow of balloons that stretched across Amsterdam Avenue, Nifenecker and his employees filled white balloons with helium and handed them to passersby with an invitation to send a prayer.
“Your message. Your prayer,” Nifenecker told people. “Send up a little bit of happiness. We’re all Americans.”
Angelo Canales and Rene Flores saw a flyer for the balloon release at a neighboring restaurant. Canales, a resident of the Upper East Side, said he wrote “no fear, love wins, rest in peace, love” on his balloon. Flores, who lives in Tribeca, wrote “love, peace, pray” on his.
Katie Lux (left) and Juliette Cornelis (right).
Sarah Emley didn’t tell her two children, Joy, 1, and Emley, 3, about the horrific tragedy that sparked the outpouring of balloons and prayers.
“It’s hard – the worst mass shooting in US history,” she said. “When the time is right.”
So she explained that they were writing prayers to people in heaven.
“Happy Times! We love you!” is what her daughter asked her to write.
Betty Gilliard, an employee at Balloon Kings for over 10 years, said she was struck by the hatred. “We’ve got to do something for those people,” she said. “The world was so different when I was young. Where does all this hate come from?”
Fifteen year olds Juliette Cornelis and Katie Lux released balloons that said “Love is stronger than hate!” and “Equality for all!”
Not everyone endorsed the balloon prayers.
“Releasing balloons kills fish!” shouted a woman from her large SUV as she waited at the light.
Nifenecker did not reply to the woman, but when asked specifically about the environmental impact agreed that foil balloons are not great for the environment.
Balloon Kings owner Gene Nifenecker filled balloons and handed them to people.
“But our latex balloons biodegrade as fast as grass.” he said. “And they’re made in Texas.”
Laila Cohen, 6, was with her mom, Lauren. They are residents of West 80th Street.
This balloon said “Fight for Love with Love.”
“Mama, look how high my balloon is,” Laila said.
“You put all that love in the sky, see that?,” her mom said to her as her balloon drifted skyward. “Maybe someone will find it. It says ‘I love you.’”
Photos by Jessica Brockington.
I think the sentiment is heartfelt and comes from a good place but balloons are very destructive to the environment. Isn’t there some other way we can show our support without without hurting animals, trees and causing endless pollution? Just saying… Still,its wonderful that people come together in solidarity in the face of such a horrible tragedy. #OrlandoStrong
I seriously cannot believe that LETTING BALLOONS INTO THE AIR is what we/this balloon king is doing “for those people”. Is this 1980?!
Call it whatever you want — THIS IS LITTERING!! I don’t care what the balloons are made of — and I doubt they are as biodegradable as he is claiming. And we are teaching kids that this is an appropriate recognition of this tragedy. Gadzooks. Pretty sad.
https://balloonsblow.org/biodegradability-backyard-test/
Please please PLEASE do not release balloons like this for any reason. They don’t biodegrade instantly – it takes time. It’s more likely that before that happens, the balloon will pop over the ocean or the sound, and sea life will attempt to eat it, or it will just join the other masses of trash polluting the ocean.
People’s hearts are in the right place, but there are are ways to pay tribute that don’t harm the environment just for a good feeling. If your child is too young to even know what this is about, then there’s no need to just let a balloon go for the sake of letting a balloon go – especially because nobody personally affected by the tragedy is even going to see the balloon. Your prayer doesn’t need a balloon. Why not have your kid write a card with a message of love? If your child is old enough to understand what happened, why not have them do a service project for an LGBT charity, or write a letter to an elected official about gun control? Releasing balloons is just destructive.
TY.
I’m sick of hearing about prayers.
Evangelicals of all faiths pray, often for the demise of LGBT people. Are these prayers any “better” than theirs?
Don’t pray. DO SOMETHING.
And, no more balloons, for all the reasons Sprinkles listed. There are many, far better, more meaningful, productive options.
Vote, in November, for gun control.
“Gun control”? You really believe that any amount of “gun control” would stop a determined Jihadist?
What we need to do, at once: End our insane “Invade the World/Invite the World” foreign and immigration policy. Stop the foreign interventions. Close the borders.
Demand this from all those serving as well as all those running-for relevant public office.
Also – unless you are 100% native american you aren’t from here either, so if you really want to close the borders, go back to where you came from. We don’t need unempathetic/close minded people like you anyway.
Not all gun wielding nuts are jihadists, remember South Carolina? and reform may not stop everyone but its a step in the right direction. That old phrase if you haven’t done anything wrong you have nothing to hide…well you can wait for a background check if you really want a gun that badly.
It is not “Independent” to post these links rather than your Comment. Stop hijacking the threads over to Steve Sailor.
I monitor osprey nests. The balloons are DEADLY to all birds and besides ingesting them or feeding them to their young by mistake, the strings tie up their feet and they can’t hunt, land and so they die. Get a clue good meaning people. A kind sentiment for sure.
In this case, at least, they didn’t put strings on the balloons. But see my other comment.
According to this website, a “biodegradable” latex balloon takes 4 years at least to start to degrade.
https://balloonsblow.org/latex-balloons-still-kill/
Not great to waste the helium either.
I understand the desire to do “something” especially where children are concerned, but as others have said, let’s find more productive ways.
I have to agree with the concerns and objections raised about the balloons. The whole thing does seem like a pointless feel-good exercise. At the cost of further fouling-up our environment?
sums it up perfectly- thank you.