A Community United – How the Enumclaw community Raised $22,000 in Six Days to Wipe Out School Lunch Debt
A Spark of Inspiration
On January 30th, I came across a Facebook post that stopped me in my tracks. It shared how kids in the Enumclaw School District weren’t getting full lunches because their accounts had negative balances. The total debt? Over $17,000+.
As someone who grew up in Boulder, Colorado, I knew what it felt like to be that kid. I was on free lunch as a child, and I remember how that experience shaped me. Now, as a parent of a 6 and 9-year-old, I couldn’t imagine my own kids—or their friends—going hungry or feeling embarrassed because of something as basic as school lunch.
We fly hot air balloons over Enumclaw every single day as part of our commercial flights, and we meet so many wonderful families in the areas we land. This is our community. Someone needed to do something.
And I realized—we could.
Turning an Idea Into Action – In Just 6 Days
By Saturday, February 1st, I knew we needed to act fast. But how do you pull off a major fundraising event in less than a week?
Step one: Find a venue. I reached out to my friend Tia from the Thomasson Family Farm, one of our launch sites during the summer season. Without hesitation, she said yes.
Step two: Gather hot air balloon pilots. I contacted every balloon pilot within a four-hour drive. Seven pilots said yes immediately, three had prior commitments.
Step three: Bring in music. I texted my friend Ian, aka DJ Lucky Strike, the musical director for the Thunderbirds, and he was on board.
The biggest concern? Parking. The farm could only accommodate 350 cars, and we worried about walk-ups exceeding capacity. The other uncertainty? Seattle weather in February is notoriously unpredictable.
But then, we saw it—a perfect weather window for Friday, February 7th. No wind. Clear skies. It was meant to be.
How the Community Responded
We launched the Eventbrite page and posted the event in the Enumclaw Community Forum Facebook group—16,000 members strong.
Here’s what we wrote:
“Two weeks ago, we saw a heartbreaking post about kids in the Enumclaw School District who couldn’t afford school lunch. As a parent, this hit home. No child should ever wonder if they’ll get to eat.
That moment sparked an idea—what if we as a community could raise all the money needed in a single fundraising event? We reached out to local balloon pilots, Thomasson Family Farm, and some amazing food truck friends, and now we have a way to raise $25,000+ in one night to make sure these kids are taken care of.
Join us for the first annual Snow and Glow: Ensuring Every Kid Eats, a hot air balloon glow with food, music, and a powerful mission—to erase school lunch debt and ensure no child in Enumclaw ever goes without lunch again.”
The response was overwhelming on the first post.
🔥 566 likes
💬 221 comments
🔄 Tons of shares
People instantly rallied behind the cause. Businesses reached out to sponsor and donate. But one thing stood out—many people had no idea that school lunch wasn’t free for all kids.
They assumed that because their own schools qualified for free meals, every school did. That’s not the case. And it’s not just Enumclaw—across the U.S., student delinquent lunch debt is over $200 million annually.
Holy cow.
The Night of the Event – A Community Comes Together
The atmosphere was electric. Families, kids, and neighbors gathered, bundled up in warm coats and glowing with excitement. The energy was something you could feel.
One of the most powerful moments? Meeting so many people I’d only ever interacted with on Facebook. We fly over their homes all the time, but when you’re waving from 1,000 feet up, you don’t really get to connect. That night, we did.
The most unexpected donations? People who had experienced school lunch debt themselves.
One man shared how, as a child, he was given a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead of a hot lunch. The embarrassment still stayed with him. That night, he donated so no child today would feel the same way.
As pilots, we invited kids into the balloon baskets to fire the burners. The joy on their faces was unreal. It was the perfect mix of giving, community, and magic.
People kept saying, “This is the best event Enumclaw has ever had.” They wanted it to become an annual tradition.
The Final Impact – More Than Just One Night
By the end of the night, we had raised $22,160 through donations and ticket sales.
This week, I’m bringing a check to Shaun (Superintendent) and Kyle (Head of Finance) at the Enumclaw School District to pay off the full amount of debt and create a fund to cover future lunch debt for the rest of the school year.
And it didn’t stop there.
🌎 People from outside Enumclaw reached out, asking how they can do the same thing in their communities.
❤️ Many who couldn’t attend still donated because no one wants kids to be hungry or embarrassed.
This wasn’t just a fundraiser. It was a movement.
What’s Next?
This will now be an annual event—but with the same 5-day lead time because, well… Seattle weather.
We’re also expanding our impact beyond fundraising. We’ll be partnering with the Enumclaw School District to bring an educational hot air balloon program to local schools.
🚀 We’ll teach 4th and 5th graders about how balloons work, the science behind flight, and the magic of aviation. It’s the perfect hands-on experience that ties directly into their curriculum.
How You Can Do This in Your Own Community
If you’ve ever had an idea for something you want to support—just do it.
🚫 You don’t have to be an expert.
🚫 You don’t have to have done it before.
✅ You just need a reason and the belief that people will step up.
I had never put on an event like this before. But I knew that if we made it inspiring and fun, people would want to be involved.
And they did.
If we could pull this off in six days, imagine what you can do in your community.
So go for it. Because no kid should go hungry—ever.
Want to Help?
🔗 Direct donation link for the school lunch fund: Givebutter.com/enumclawballoonfundraiser
🔗 Contact Seattle Ballooning to get involved: SeattleBallooning.com
