Bettis Family Launch

Here are photos from their birthday launch in Roswell, GA.  Thanks Mel B. for the pics!

Mystery Solved

The balloon found in Collinsville, OK was indeed launched from Tulsa. Please see note below:

Tanners,
We are so excited to hear that one of our balloons was found in Collinsville. We launched Saturday evening from Tulsa near 51st and 177th East Avenue. Here are our photos for the blog.
Love,
Blake, Tarah and Carson

Balloon #2 Found!

We just received a note from Tricia who found a balloon in Collinsville, OK. She'd like to know where it came from, and so would we! Any ideas out there? Anybody launch from Tulsa? That'd be about a 20 mile trek...

We were touched by an angel? My 3 young sons and I were on our evening walk, last night, and discovered the purple deflated balloon in a small, decorative tree on Mainstreet of Collinsville between 11th and 10th street. The note attached said to send the info where it was to this address. My children were interested to see if you could return the favor and let us know where it came from. Thank you.

Found at 8:20 p.m., June 20, 2010

Main St., Collinsville, OK.

P.S. I had a strange dream last night about saving a baby girl who had two scars. One on her leg and the other on her head. Maybe just a dream. Thought it was odd. A coincidence maybe?

~Tricia

Quote at the bottom of Tricia's email:

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me."- Erma Bombeck

Ed. note: Without a doubt, Tara used ever bit of talent God gave her!!!

Another Birthday Launch

Tara's friend Daniel W. launched these balloons from his house in the Edgewood/Little Five Points neighborhood of Atlanta.

First response of 2010

Didn't take long for balloon #1 to be found. Someone named Daniel sent this note to us on the 19th, Tara's actual birthday:

Well I guest I should say "Happy Birthday Tara". Yes I found your balloon today in my garden. I live in Ellenwood, Georgia where 155 Highway and Panola Meet in Henry County. I have always wanted to do something like that. Thanks Debbie and Jack it made my day.

We know that Debbie and Jack launched this one from Tara's bench at the Roswell Rec, so this balloon traveled a good 40 miles before it landed in Daniel's garden... Ellenwood is just SE of Atlanta.

Birthday Wishes

Happy Birthday Tara!

A Reply from 2009

We recently re-checked the mailbox from 2009, and received the following note. Check out the picture and note they shared with us!

Hi! Just wanted to let you know we found Tara's birthday balloon at Rams Horn Village in Estes Park, Colorado on a beautiful bright summer day on August 21, 2009. Your angel found a beautiful place to land....

Balloon Launch Details

This Saturday, June 19th, we are organizing what has become our annual remembrance of Tara's birthday. If you would like to participate, all you need to do is get a purple helium balloon, print and cut out the note that is attached to this email and tie it to the end of the balloon string. You may want to laminate or put the note in a small plastic baggie and then release it in honor of her day wherever you are.

You may also want to put a message on the back of the note indicating where you released the balloon and perhaps your name or initial. It is always interesting to see who sent the balloon and from where – you’d be surprised how much it actually means to the people who find the launched balloons.

Tara's friend Megan organized a blog that we’ve used to collect photos of the balloon launch for the past 2 years. We are hoping that you will continue to send us your balloon launch pictures so that we can post them onto her website. If you have pictures you can forward from past years we would be very excited to receive them as well. We also love to hear the stories of your balloon launches that we can post or you may leave messages on the blog if you would like.

The address for the blog is http://angeltara.blogspot.com

As hard as it is to say and believe, it will soon be 6 years without our Tara, and we miss her every single day. Our family cannot thank you enough for all the kindness, care, support and friendship you’ve continued to show us through the years. We are especially grateful for your remembering Tara on what would have been her 28th birthday.

Thank you so much!

The Tanner Family

Flashback to 2008

A few years ago, a fellow cheerleader close to Tara launched balloons with her family and shared the following note:

Dear Angel Tara,

I am so proud to have known you and will always remember your smiling face and funny jokes above all. You made cheering next to you so much fun and I think of you very often, especially when I see a purple popsicle or Dan from the Falcons (I guess that is an inside joke).

This year, my daughter, Regan, and husband, Jeff, released the balloon with me. We live in Roswell, GA and it looked like it was heading toward Gwinnett county....I'm sure it made it and brightened someone's day, just as you always brightened mine. We love and miss you!

Little Gracie launches in 2009

This is Vicki's friend Katherine and her granddaughter Gracie in Gainesville, Florida in 2009.

Baby Carson's First Launch

Blake, Tarah, and Baby Carson at last year's launch.

Memorial Bench

A beautiful bench donated by Tanner Family Friends (and organized by dear Terry B) sits outside the Roswell Recreation and Parks Department, where Tara and friends grew up dancing.