Spartan handles Macy’s balloons

Thanksgiving means a big dinner to most, but for Dorothy Gergely of Sparta it means being part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Through good weather and bad, she has handled parade balloons for the for the last 12 years.

How she got involved

Balloon handlers are usually Macy’s employees or are sponsored by employees.

She became a balloon handler through her membership in the Great Eastern Balloon Association, a hot air balloon group. With her years of experience with hot air balloons, with their inflation fans and propane burners, she found handling a helium filled balloon to be “a piece of cake.”

Holding a dog-bone shaped rope reel, balloon handlers take orders from the balloon’s pilot.

“At different times of the parade they ask us to unroll it five or 10 rotations of the reel,” said Gergely. The pilot gives commands to handlers in order to guide the balloon around obstructions, or in response to the wind conditions.

There is less danger of snagging the balloon on something in a light wind so the pilot can order more rope unwound. “The balloons were pretty high this year. The wind was pretty calm.” With the crowd standing ten to 20 people deep along the parade route it was easier to see a high flying balloon.

Salute to soldiers

While flying along Sixth Avenue the balloons are protected from cross winds by the tall buildings, but the intersections are another matter. One year, when she was on the crew for the Soldier balloon, it was raining, cold and windy. “It was miserable, miserable in the rain. We got down to a street, it was near the end of the parade, and it was lined with soldiers. Every branch of the military was there. When they saw Soldier balloon come by they started cheering us. We yelled to them ‘thank you for your service’ and they yelled ‘thank you, Soldier balloon.'”

At the intersection the pilot, checking the gusting crosswind, called for the handlers to take in a few turns of rope. “We had to run through the intersection and all the soldiers, simultaneously, broke out into a chant.” With the troops singing out a marching cadence, the handlers quickly passed through the intersection. “All through the intersection they yelled to us.”

Kermit attacks

While crewing on the Kermit the frog balloon Gergely witnessed the assault of New York Police Department officers by the helium filled amphibian. “We turned down Central Park West and Kermit’s hand came down and whacked three or four NYPD officers,” said Gergely. “It didn’t hit them hard. If we had a camera it would have been a funny picture.”

Handlers receive training at the Meadowlands Sports complex in October but sometimes the weather does not cooperate. “In 2007, that was the year we did a practice at the 1964 World’s Fair fairgrounds.” The scheduled practice was cancelled because of high winds and the new date conflicted with a sports event. It was the first year for the Sesame Street character Abby Cadabby balloon and she was inflated to create pre-parade publicity. “Abby Cadabby’s puppeteer came out to see her inflated for the first time.” The puppeteer talked with the balloon handlers, signed autographs and posed for photographs. “She promised to bring the puppet to the parade.” The puppeteer kept her promise Thanksgiving Day. “We were holding the balloon, and she came by with Abby on her arm, all dressed up in ear muffs and coat. She went around and met all the balloon handlers.”

Post 9/11 parade

One year Gergely felt uncomfortable being with a large crowd in Manhattan – the year was 2001. “We had 9/11 in September and in November it was either the worst place to be for a parade or the best place to be. It turned out I had Harold the Fireman. We had some fireman come by and posed with us with the balloon. The groups of people that were walking in front and in back of us were firefighters, police department and rescue workers. The fire department and rescue workers were carrying the flag that was rescued from the WTC, the ripped flag.”

This year, after marching past Macy’s, the balloon turned west and were directed to an assigned deflation area. The handlers reeled in the balloon until it is on the ground. “They open huge Velcro seals and zippers and let out the helium,” explained Gergely. The balloon is put into large, metal laundry type cart and taken away for inspection and stored until next year.

Gergely, and her husband Scott Dunn, spend most of their balloon time with hot air balloons. “We got engaged in his dad’s balloon at the New Jersey Festival of Ballooning in 2009,” said Gergely. “The following year, in July 2010, we were the first wedding at Solberg airport.”

Gaining experience

Susan Steer, of Ogdensburg, crewed on a balloon, along with her sister, Ellen Farley of Wharton, for the second time this year. “Balloon handling was on my bucket list. I said to my sister ‘I always wanted to do that and the next thing I know she got me in,” said Steer. “Last year we were on Kung Foo Panda balloon.” Although Steer and Farley also have hot air balloon crew experience, they were able to march in the parade via a different process than Gergely.

A frequent Macy’s shopper, Farley knew a store employee that would sponsor them. The sisters went for training last year and watched a refresher video this year. “This year we were on Sonic the Hedgehog,” said Farley. Sonic is a wide balloon and the handlers were busy. “Different times, near the trees, we had to move him up and down.” The handlers reacted to commands from the pilot. “He is out front, watching the balloon, walking the entire parade backwards,” said Steer. “You are not supposed to look up at the balloon. You should keep your eyes on the pilot.”

Despite having to wake up at 4:30 a.m. to catch the Macy’s bus into Manhattan and having their turkey dinners on days other than Thanksgiving, all three balloon handlers will do it again next year.

—Photos by John Church

More pictures of this event at www.spartaindependent.com