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It's all about the glow: Hot air balloon fest benefits food bank
Kelsey Kruzich / Staff Photo – Just three years old, Aero Country East is its own community, as pilots and their families call the private runway home. In addition to its balloon glow on Dec. 8, the neighborhood aims to welcome the public through other events, like an open house in the spring.
By Kelley Chambers, kchambers@starlocalnews.com, @KelleyChambers7 on Twitter
Give Mike Hance a mile of road and he'll drive for a mile. But give him a mile of runway and he'll go anywhere.
That's the vision the vice president of sales and operations of Aero Country East in west McKinney wants to share with the rest of the community when the private airport hosts its Balloon Glow to benefit Community Food Pantry.
"This is really what makes McKinney unique," Hance said. "We have one of everything here. It's like living at the boat docks or on the golf course, only we live at the airport."
From World War II era aircraft and blimps to air show dare devils and hot air balloon enthusiasts, Aero Country East - or ACE - has generated considerable revenue right here in McKinney, and wants to continue its impact in the form of events like the glow. ACE also holds an open house in the spring, allowing nearby residents to tour the neighborhood and check out their toys.
The glow will take place on Saturday, Dec. 8 from 5 to 7 p.m., weather permitting. For $1 donation, visitors can come out to the hangars at 9446 Virginia Parkway and enjoy a cool night surrounded by the glow of hot air balloons. Hot chocolate will also be on hand thanks to the efforts of a local church.
Although this will be the first time ACE will bring the glow to McKinney, the group of pilots providing the entertainment have been doing this for more than 20 years, glowing in towns like Frisco, Plano, Anna and Richardson.
"We're very excited because it's going to be a fun event for the community," said Carol Bodwell, volunteer director for Community Food Pantry. "I hope it's the beginning of a long-term relationship."
While food is what the bank always needs, cash donations go further by enabling Bodwell and other food bank volunteers to purchase more, a third to 50 percent more per dollar to be exact, Bodwell said. In this way, maximizing donations will also allow the food bank to fill in the gaps for exact items they need, and every dollar counts, Bodwell said.
Aside from filling a need, the balloon glow is a great way to kick off the holiday season, she added.
"We can get a lot more for the dollar than the average person can," she said. " I never feel like people know that it takes a whole community to keep this program going because it is a large program. Last month we helped 565 families providing groceries for 16,040 meals. It really does take a lot different groups to keep our program going."
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