Contact: Libby James, GTA
(336) 373-2820 

World's First Wheelchair-Accessible Hot-Air Balloon Returns to Greensboro on June 9-10

GREENSBORO -- The Greensboro Transit Authority (GTA) will once again take flight with Serena’s Song, the world’s first wheelchair accessible hot-air balloon, on Saturday, June 9 and Sunday, June 10. The event will be held at Barber Park, 1500 Dan’s Road in Greensboro.    

Sponsored by GTA and its transportation contractor, Veolia Transportation, Serena’s Song is operated by Gary Waldman and named for his cerebral-palsy stricken daughter, Serena Waldman, who laughed for the first time in her young life during a hot-air balloon ride in 1985. Since the launch of Serena’s Song in 1991, the world’s first wheelchair-accessible hot-air balloon has carried over 15,000 passengers in dozens of US cities and towns.  
 
Free rides on Serena’s Song will take place on Saturday, June 9 and Sunday, June 10 from 6 to 9 am and from 6:30 to 8:15 pm both days. To request a reservation to ride Serena’s Song, contact the Specialized Community Area Transportation (SCAT) reservation line at (336) 333-6589 between 8 am and 5 pm, Monday through Friday. GTA will try to honor all reservations and requests from disabled people and seniors, but priority will be given to children with disabilities. Please note that excessive wind or rain could force the delay or postponement of Serena’s Song flights. Reservations must be made by 5 pm on Friday, June 8.

To coordinate coverage of the event, including balloon pilot interviews and live remotes from Barber Park or inside the balloon, contact Kevin Elwood, Greensboro Department of Transportation, at (336) 412-6309. To learn more about Serena’s Song, visit the website www.serenassong.com. 

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