Charitable Donation
Requests
Our hot air balloon ride and biplane flight gift certificates are popular items for charity auctions, gift baskets, and door prizes. They are the kind of unique donations that are sought after to generate keen interest and excitement at fund raisers.
We donate support to as many local organizations, both large and
small, as we possibly can.
Every
year we receive nearly three hundred requests for donations; each with its own
compelling need. If we could, we would donate to them all. Unfortunately,
we are simply unable to do so. The logos on this page represent just a few that
we have helped. It is our policy to give to organizations in our
immediate community and to widely recognized groups.
After years of having to turn down so many requests, we decided there had to be more we could do to help. There had to be a better way than to just say "no" and "sorry." Then it hit us, there is a way to let everyone have these high value, high demand gifts for their fund raising efforts.
Consignment Certificates!
We have developed the consignment certificate idea permitting everyone the benefit of having our hot air balloon and biplane ride certificates to sell or auction off. How does it work?
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We provide you with certificates for our services on consignment. (consignment defined - Property turned over to an auctioneer by its owner or those representing the owner to be sold on a commission basis under specific conditions)
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You place the certificates on your auction block with a reserve bid to cover the cost of the item. You then auction the item off for the highest possible bid.
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You keep the money you make over and above the cost, for your fund raising efforts.
Your school, sports team, church, fraternal organization, scout troop, or
charity can now benefit from this strategy. Here's how:
Advantages
1. There is no obligation on your part. You do not pay for any ride that you did not sell. The fare is remitted to us only after the ride is auctioned off at the price you set. If the ride could not be sold for the required minimum bid, you owe us nothing.
2. The rides are best sold on a "live"
auction but can still be used for silent auctions. In a live auction you get the
bidding as high as it will go and then offer that price to as many bidders as
want it. For example; our 20 minute biplane ride has a price of $125. At a
recent auction, the bidding reached $250 for the ride. Three people had been
bidding and it was sold to all 3 people. That's $250 x 3 = $750. The difference
is yours to keep, so $750 - $375 (our cost to provide the rides) = $375 for you to
keep!
3. Once you provide us with the information
to complete a booking sheet for the successful bidders and remit the fare to us,
you have no further involvement. We will assume all responsibility for
contacting, scheduling, and taking your passengers on their flight.
How to Get Certificates for Your Event
It's simple, contact our office or use the request form below and we will provide you with a packet. You may telephone us at 410-836-1116 or complete the request form below. We recommend that you get both balloon and biplane certificates to maximize your fund raising efforts. This program works well for both of us; we no longer have to say "we're sorry" as our only alternative, we get some business and good will, and you get to have high value items for your event to help raise funds. You may of course ask to be considered for an outright donation, but please don't ask for a reduction of the fare on a consignment certificate; that is just another donation on our part!
Requirements to meet before requesting a certificate package:
- Do not obtain, sell, or auction our services for any
organization, unless you are an authorized representative of the
organization and you have obtained specific permission to do so.
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If your event will not take place in our area do not request a package. Your successful bidder must travel to our location for their flight. We do not offer, nor do we accept, national ride certificates. If your organization is national, please be certain that your event or your bidder is in Maryland, Delaware, South Central Pennsylvania, or Northern Virginia. An event outside of this geographic area does not lend itself to the use of these certificates; it is too far to travel!
Pitfalls to Avoid after getting a certificate package:
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Be certain that you, your auctioneer, and the bidders understand the concept of the minimum bid. Don't sell the ride unless the minimum bid is met or exceeded. If you sell the ride for less than your cost, you will still be responsible for the difference and it will do little for your fund raising efforts. The cost of our rides are $125 to $300 for the biplane based on time and $150 to $220 for a balloon ride also based on the time of the flight. These prices are per passenger and clearly stated in our brochures. Be clear about what length ride you are auctioning and the number of passengers you are including. You must add 5% MD Admissions Tax unless you are a 501(c)3 or other tax exempt organization and can provide a tax exempt certificate.
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Upon completion of your event or fund raiser, it is imperative that you remit the balance due and provide us with the name/s, address, and telephone numbers of any successful bidder as well as the type and duration of the ride sold. We must have this information to complete a booking sheet to record the ride. Failure to provide payment or passenger information will result in the certificate being voided. This is embarrassing for everyone involved when your bidder calls to schedule a flight for which there is no record!
Certificates, brochures, and instructions will be sent to the address provided below. The name of the organization, address, and telephone number will be printed on the back of the certificates. If you only represent the organization, make sure you provide their address and telephone number to avoid having your personal information placed on the certificates. You may provide a separate "ship to" address if you wish.
We wish you great success in your fund raising efforts.
Call 410-836-1116 to get started or to have any questions answered
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