The Camberley Rotary Club attended the Chobham Carnival in force on the May Bank Holiday Monday. The main feature of our attendance was the Grand Balloon Race. Over 1500 balloons had been sponsored and these were released in rather windy conditions. All these balloons had to be inflated on the day. Four teams performed this task, each consisting of one inflator, two knot tiers and two label attachers. In keeping with the traditional British Bank Holiday, the inflating was interrupted by a torrential downpour. Although this delayed the blowing up it was achieved in just under two hours. The balloons were then taken into the centre of the display arena where they were ceremoniously released by the Mayor, Keith Bush.

Our thanks must go to the Camberley Youth Wind Orchestra who supplied one inflation team (no comments on Wind Orchestras being ideally suited to the inflation task please) and also to Blubeckers restaurants who donated complimentary discount vouchers to every purchaser of a balloon.

Also on display was a Rotary SHELTERBOX. These boxes are funded by Rotary and are sent in large numbers to where natural disasters have destroyed homes and basic survival needs. For example, 100 Shelterboxes were recently sent to the Soloman Islands where homes were destroyed by the recent tsunami.
The SHELTERBOX contains a large tent, tools, bedding etc - all items necessary to give practical aid to disaster survivors.

Click to read more about the SHELTERBOX scheme

Our other charity fund raising stalls - Win a Bottle of Wine for 50p and our book stall - were extremely successful in spite of nature's interruption.