MONROE - Monroe's annual balloon rally may have trouble getting off the ground this year.
Rising costs to host the rally and tougher economic times for local businesses have taken their toll.
Pam Christopher, director of Monroe Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the chamber board has looked at ways to make the event, scheduled for June 26-28, more cost effective and to find more businesses willing to become sponsors.
"Last year the balloon rally lost $8,000," Christopher said.
She said the cost to hold the rally in 2008 was about $33,000. There were 22 balloons at last year's event.
There are costs associated with the balloons that people don't often see, Christohper said, such as meals and hotel stays for the pilots and the cost for prizes in balloon competitions.
Christopher said the chamber board met Jan. 22 with sponsors to come up with ways to trim the costs of the event.
"We needed to gauge where our sponsors are this year," she said.
Christopher said the board doesn't want to cancel the balloon rally, but said the chamber, a nonprofit organization, can't continue to lose money, either. By looking at ways to save money, the board has expressed its interest in doing what it can to have the rally, she said.
"We're trying to be very smart about this," Christopher said. "It's a good community event, and we're trying to make it financially sound and put on a good event."
She said it's better if the board decides whether the balloon rally will go on sooner rather than later.
The board meets today and could consider going to the community to see if other sponsors that might not have been involved with the rally in the past would consider helping cover expenses for the event this year.
Christopher hopes the chamber will have a better idea next week about potential balloon rally sponsors.
Rising costs to host the rally and tougher economic times for local businesses have taken their toll.
Pam Christopher, director of Monroe Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the chamber board has looked at ways to make the event, scheduled for June 26-28, more cost effective and to find more businesses willing to become sponsors.
"Last year the balloon rally lost $8,000," Christopher said.
She said the cost to hold the rally in 2008 was about $33,000. There were 22 balloons at last year's event.
There are costs associated with the balloons that people don't often see, Christohper said, such as meals and hotel stays for the pilots and the cost for prizes in balloon competitions.
Christopher said the chamber board met Jan. 22 with sponsors to come up with ways to trim the costs of the event.
"We needed to gauge where our sponsors are this year," she said.
Christopher said the board doesn't want to cancel the balloon rally, but said the chamber, a nonprofit organization, can't continue to lose money, either. By looking at ways to save money, the board has expressed its interest in doing what it can to have the rally, she said.
"We're trying to be very smart about this," Christopher said. "It's a good community event, and we're trying to make it financially sound and put on a good event."
She said it's better if the board decides whether the balloon rally will go on sooner rather than later.
The board meets today and could consider going to the community to see if other sponsors that might not have been involved with the rally in the past would consider helping cover expenses for the event this year.
Christopher hopes the chamber will have a better idea next week about potential balloon rally sponsors.