The Norfolk Lupus Group is a regional support group for people who are living with and learning to live with Lupus, and is part of LUPUS UK

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2006 ANNUAL BALLOON RACE LAUNCH AT THE FORUM PDF Print E-mail
Huge thanks go out to everyone who helped to make our annual Balloon Race such a roaring success this year. The day started early on October 28th, at 9-am outside the Forum in Norwich. There was a great turnout by the committee, and we had loads of help from friends and family too. As it happens this was a good thing as we found ourselves incredibly busy as the afternoon approached.
Located beside us, just outside the Forum was an absolutely fascinating bungee trampoline apparatus, on The ever filling net of balloonswhich people were coming along and paying to have a go. This of course was good for us, as it was drawing in huge crowds. Also, being set up outside the Forum was the annual ice skating rink, which had the fortunate effect of funneling passers-by in an almost constant stream past our stand. All in all, the atmosphere was a lot more enjoyable than last year, when we were forced to compete with the volume of an ethnic drumming group all day.
As the afternoon wore on, our net filled with more and more balloons, and kept getting bigger and more colourfull. By mid afternoon, it could be seen from as far away as the main road, and had taken over from the bungee trampolines as the main crowd drawing attraction. It was starting to look like we wouldn't have enough room for all the balloons, and some looked dangerously close to spilling out and getting trapped in the Forums roof structure.
The trade continued relentlessly through the afternoon, and as the launch deadline of 4-pm drew nearer and nearer, we saw an increasing number of youths who wanted to buy balloons, but didn't want to attach tickets to them.
Filling balloon after balloon "That's odd", we thought. "Why would they want to forfeit the chance to win some cold hard cash?"
We got our answer a few minutes later when a group of teenagers walked past in raptures of laughter. In the middle of the group, there was a lad carrying a balloon and talking like Joe Pasquale. And so a small but enterprising trade began with the local teenagers buying un-knotted balloons, so they could entertain their mates with funny high pitched squeaky voices.
And so it was that the launch deadline of 4-pm arrived. A huge crowd had gathered outside the Forum, presumably the good people who had bought balloons, and wanted to see them launched. The balloons were carefully moved from the Forum entrance, to the open space outside the BBC shop, which proved to be more of a challenge than any of us suspected as the wind had got up quite a bit by this stage, and we were no longer protected by the nice sheltered alcove that is the Forum entrance. As a result, Donna Hambling, who had the honour of actually releasing the balloons had to fight an almighty battle with them as the wind tried to carry them away still inside the net.
Eventually, after much wrestling and accompanied by an almighty cheer from the gathered throng, Donna managed to pull the release string, and the balloons were free. Instantly they here caught by the wind, and carried off over the city in an Eastward direction at a considerable rate of knots. A video clip of this can be enjoyed by clicking on this link. Please be aware that the video clip is over 2mb in size, so you might have to wait for a few minutes if you're not on broadband.
The total amount raised on the day has not yet been calculated. This will be announced on Wednesday 1st November, and Cards For Good Causes supporting Lupus UK in the Forum, Norwichthe figure will be published here on the website.
The winner of the £100 prize will be the owner of the balloon that travels the furthest by December 13th. As an incentive to encourage finders of the balloons to post the tickets back to us, we're offering a finders prize of £50 if the ticket you find is the furthest away from Norwich by December 13th. Last years winning ticket was returned from France, but in all honesty, there's no knowing where the balloons might end up, so if you find a Norfolk Lupus Group balloon with a ticket attached, be sure to return the ticket to the address indicated on it to be in with a chance of winning.

Also at the Forum in Norwich is the Cards For Good Causes stand. This stand sells Christmas cards, and supports a whole range of UK based charities, including Lupus UK.
On most days there is a representative of the Norfolk Lupus Group on hand to help and offer advice to anyone who might be suffering with the condition. Pop into the Forum any day between now and the 30th of November to pick up your Christmas cards and help a good cause all in one go.