Building a balloon dream world

Balloon artisan Khadine McMillan, owner of the Wantagh-based Milan Event Experience, has been spicing up special occasions, such as anniversaries or Sweet 16s, with the ultimate in helium-filled fun for the past three years.

Through her events-decor company, McMillan has wowed her clients with her larger-than-life balloon displays. But earlier this month, McMillan was called to lend her balloon-sculpting skills to an altogether different kind of project taking place more than 1,000 miles from her Long Island home. The Give Kids the World charity has enlisted McMillan, along with dozens of balloon artisans from around the world, to come to Orlando, Florida, for its “Balloon Wonderland” event.

The goal is to create an immersive storybook landscape made entirely out of balloons — also called big balloon builds— on the charity’s 89-acre theme park resort. The 30,000 square feet installation, McMillan said, will bring big smiles to the faces of critically ill children and their families during their weeklong, no-cost stay.

Children will get to explore several fantastical-themed areas, including “Toyland,” “The Enchanted Forest” and “Under the Sea,” resembling the resort’s themed attractions. The roughly 300 artists will be divided into several teams, with each team assigned a separate balloon build theme.

“My team is Dino Land,” said McMillan “We have about 50 balloon artists in our team, and we’re doing dinosaurs. We’re doing a volcano. We’re going to do greenery. You’ll have the flowers and maybe some dragonflies and butterflies. And I think one of the goals is to also include a flying pterodactyl in the mix.”

McMillan said she expects the balloon volcano to stand anywhere between 18 to 24 feet high with the dinosaurs towering around that height range. It’s an ambitious and time-intensive endeavor, said McMillan.

“We’re going to be building all week,” said McMillan. “Depending on the scale of the build, you can take anywhere from three to four days to maybe a week.” McMillan and her fellow artisans had begun the prep work and framing last weekend and will have it set up by Saturday for the official public unveiling.

The critically ill children will get a sneak preview of the build this Friday before it opens to the public during the “Twisting for the Stars” event, according to McMillan.

“We’re going to make balloons for the kids specific to each fantasy area,” said McMillan. “For our area, they might get a little mini-dinosaur; a pirate sword for the Under the Sea build; a flower for the Enchanted Forest.” The children will also place a star with their names on any part of the build, McMillan added.

Her favorite part of the event will be seeing the artisans’ collaborative efforts come to life. “All these other artists are just as passionate about it,” she said. “And everyone’s there for one purpose: to get this job done for these kids. I think that’s a really big part of it as well.

“After two-plus years of being quarantined and limited in their activities, one could only imagine how much this would mean to these children and their families,” McMillan added. “Visiting a production piece as vibrant and spectacular as this and just simply celebrating, smiling, and having fun is a priceless experience.”

And for those mindful of environmental concerns, McMillan said that once the builds are ready to come down, the majority of the balloons are made from latex and biodegradable, and each one will be popped and properly disposed of.

“What an amazing event this is,” Pam Landwirth, CEO of Give Kids the World, said in a statement. “Khadine is going to be part of [a team] creating many iconic pieces from our Give Kids the World Village in this gigantic balloon display. We are so grateful for her support, demonstrating how the joy of balloons can also make a difference in the lives of so many.”

“Giving back doesn’t end with the ‘Balloon Wonderland,’” said McMillan, who said she would continue to undertake balloon-build projects with other organizations such as Hope for Youth later this year in “continuing to spread joy through the love of balloons.”