Video: Bristol balloon launch fiasco bring fame

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Friday, August 01, 2008
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This is Bristol

A botched charity balloon launch has brought worldwide fame

to  Bristol fundraisers.

A video of students from the University of the West of England

(UWE) posted on the internet has been viewed thousands of

times  and has even  attracted interest from a US TV

network.

It shows them  attempting to release hundreds of red

helium-filled balloons, most of which float straight into a

tree and burst noisily.

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The video was posted on  YouTube, where it has been

watched more than 19,000 times, while on  

Liveleak.com the clip was viewed nearly 70,000 times in five

days.

Yesterday thursday Chris Anthony, 24, who helps run students’

charity events at UWE’s student union, received an email from

international TV network CNN, which wants to 

show   the video.

Chris, of Stoke Gifford, said: “It was a bit embarrassing at

first but now I am quite proud.”

, although it is a worrying thought that I might be remembered

for releasing a load of balloons into a tree.”

The event itself took place on February 14 last year2007, but

the video, named “the funniest balloon launch ever”, has only

recently become so widely-viewed.

It was only the second event organised by the newly-formed

Raise and Give society (RAG) at the university, and the

students were raising money for Children in Need, Health

Unlimited and the National Aids Trust.

Tickets were sold and each was attached to a balloon, and a

prize of music vouchers was to be given to the person whose

balloon travelled the furthest after being released.

In the end, one balloon did manage to escape the tree and

travelled more than 100 miles from Bristol to Lymington,

Hampshire.

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14 Comments

  • Profile image for This is Bristol

    by neil, UWE

    Thursday, August 14 2008, 12:01PM

    “The video has now been shown on Richard & Judy, CNN and we've just been contacted by an Australian TV company. Ironically when we sent the tape last year to You've Been Framed they sent it back as rejected, I guess they only want old clips from 80s or something.”

  • Profile image for This is Bristol

    by 2UWE girlies, Brizzle

    Saturday, August 02 2008, 10:07PM

    “We have no idea why they released them in the court yard when there are loads of places better suited. still gave us a laugh, we didn't know about it at the tine though. we hope this years fund raisers go better...”

  • Profile image for This is Bristol

    by Alice, Bristol

    Friday, August 01 2008, 4:31PM

    “Aw bless, best laid plans of mice and men and all that! Good on the UWE students for trying to do their bit for charity but getting a funny learning curve in the process! Everyone loves the trying! :-)”

  • Profile image for This is Bristol

    by Gerry, South Glos

    Friday, August 01 2008, 3:21PM

    “UWESU continue to set low standards and fail to achieve them!”

  • Profile image for This is Bristol

    by bambi on ice, bristol

    Friday, August 01 2008, 3:02PM

    “no doubt the students had traffic cones on there heads, were hungover and were munching on a cold tin of beans”

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