Promoted content
Agenda
Sign up now! The ‘Schools Out’
Up, up and away! D
PTA supporters can win great prizes from home when they join the national ‘Schools Out’ virtual balloon race
o you miss the thrill of watching hundreds of coloured balloons float into the sky, watching them
disappear from view and wondering where their journey might end? Balloon races have decreased in popularity over the past few years due to the danger to wildlife from balloons falling back to earth. Ecoracing has brought back the
excitement of balloon racing with its eco-friendly virtual balloon races, which can be completely run from home. PTAs can set up a free account in a matter of minutes, making it easy to organise and simple for parents to take part. With no prizes to source, PTAs can relax and watch the funds roll in. ‘I was looking for an eye-catching
fundraising idea when I came across the Ecoracing website,’ says Tom Garner, headteacher at Fairhaven Primary School in Stourbridge, West Midlands. ‘It’s an initiative that not only offers the all-important novelty factor but is eco-friendly too.’ With Ecoracing, everything is real
apart from the balloons. Participants choose a race and buy as many balloons as they wish. Balloons can be personalised with different
colours, patterns and text. Before each seven-day race begins, parameters such as helium content, rubber thickness and shape can be altered to suit the actual predicted weather conditions at the time of the flight, making this a game of skill rather than a form of gambling. When their race is due to start,
children and schools can watch their balloons fly (virtually) into the sky. ‘I invited everyone to watch the balloons go up on a big screen in the hall,’ says Garner. ‘There was a real buzz around the school, and the children’s awareness of geography increased as they logged in to monitor the progress of their balloons.’ Children can follow their balloons
online using data from Google Maps. Balloons respond to the current weather conditions – some balloons will fly better, some will be left behind, others might burst. When the race is finished, the
balloon that travels the furthest wins a national cash prize. PTAs can also arrange their own prizes if they wish. All participants receive details on where their balloons finished. l To join the Schools Out balloon race, set up your PTA account at
https://ecoracing.co/
pta.co.uk SUMMER 2020 15
virtual balloon race launches Friday 3 July and will run for seven days
‘Our virtual balloon race raised £3,000’
‘We saw the virtual balloon race as the perfect fundraiser for our eco-school and a great way to raise pupils’ awareness of environmental issues. A total of 73 pupils took part in the initiative and the positive response we received was overwhelming. We’re really proud of our children, who sold over 400 balloons between them. Our star fundraising pupil personally rasied £160 by selling 32 virtual balloons in the small hamlet of just 20 houses where he lives. He sold balloons to every one of his neighbours! The money raised from the
balloon race has been spilt between Nightingale Hospice in Wrexham and the PTA, who used it to fund an eco-garden.’ Georgina Hawkey, former PTA member, Eyton Primary School PTA, Wrexham
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
