Balloonfest '86 was a 1986 event in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, in which the local chapter of United Way set a world record by releasing almost 1.5 million balloons. The event took place on September 27, 1986, and was intended to be a harmless fundraising publicity stunt, but the balloons drifted back over the city, Lake Erie, and landed in the surrounding area, causing problems for traffic and a nearby airport. The event also interfered with a United States Coast Guard search for two boaters who were later found drowned. In consequence, the organizers and the city faced lawsuits seeking millions of dollars in damages, and cost overruns put the event at a net loss. Preparations The stunt was coordinated by a Los Angeles-based company headed by Treb Heining, Balloonart by Treb, which spent six months preparing for it. A rectangular structure the size of a city block was set up to hold the balloons on the southwest quadrant of Cleveland's Public Square. It measured by , was three stories high and was covered with a one-piece net of woven mesh material. Inside, 2,500 volunteers, consisting largely of high school students, spent many hours filling the balloons with helium. One described the preparations as "like an assembly line, non-stop." Volunteers received free T-shirts. United Way originally planned to release two million balloons, but eventually stopped at over 1.4 million. Children sold sponsorships to benefit United Way at the price of $1 for every two balloons. Launch On Saturday, September 27, 1986, with a rainstorm approaching, organizers decided on an early release of the balloons at about 1:50 p.m. EDT. A crowd of over 100,000 gathered in downtown Cleveland for the event. Close to 1.5 million balloons rose up from Public Square, surrounding Terminal Tower and surpassing a world record set the previous year on the 30th anniversary of Disneyland. Consequences Typically, a helium-filled latex balloon that is released outdoors will stay aloft long enough to be fully deflated before it descends to Earth. However, the Balloonfest balloons collided with a front of cool air and rain, which caused them to drop towards the ground while still inflated. The descending balloons clogged the land and waterways of Northeast Ohio. In the days following the event, many balloons were reported washed ashore on the Canadian side of Lake Erie causing water pollution. Some people had misconceptions about the environmental impact of balloon