BALDWINSVILLE — Pam Chrisman Milac and Lori Walker are in the business of inflation — but not the kind that has consumers grumbling. The two Radisson residents have founded Blown Away Balloons to “help people celebrate in style,” Milac told the Messenger. The company builds balloon arches, garlands, centerpieces and other sculptures.
Milac made her first balloon creation — a float for the Syracuse St. Patrick’s Day parade in 2012 — and in April 2022 she convinced Walker to help her set up for an event. Walker tagged along to a few more of Milac’s volunteer balloon gigs.
“It wasn’t a journey that we thought we’d be starting on,” Milac said. “We had been volunteering doing balloon arches for schools and someone asked us for our business card.”
The two women hatched a business plan over dinner, and Blown Away Balloons was born. Since May, Walker and Milac have sculpted balloons for 15 or 20 graduation parties, showers, birthdays and other events.
“We just worked so well together,” Walker said.
“We definitely complement one another’s gifts and talents,” Milac added.
The best part of their new venture is being able to flex their creative muscles, the Blown Away team said.
“Lori’s favorite thing is the centerpieces. Lori did not like the quality of the centerpieces we were buying online. They were cheap; they were falling over,” Milac said. “She called me from Lowe’s one day and she was getting wood and metal rods. She was sawing them in her garage!”
For now, Walker’s basement serves as Blown Away’s headquarters.
“Right now, we seem to manage out of the house really well,” Walker said.
While a brick-and-mortar establishment “would be cool one day,” Milac said, most of the design work and inflation can be done from home. Then, the women assemble their creations onsite.
“We’re so mobile — we can go anywhere and create a structure,” Milac said.
Over the course of the summer, Milac and Walker worked out many of the kinks: transporting carloads of balloons — “How many balloons can fit in the back of a Honda Odyssey?” Milac asked — as well as dealing with balloons during extreme weather and, of course, the ever-present danger of popping.
“We’ve had to learn how to deal with balloons in the summer heat and then popping,” Milac said. “The greatest ones [are] the confetti balloons — when they pop, it’s the gift that keeps on giving.”
Milac and Walker’s services include post-event cleanup and they are mindful of the environmental impact of balloons, string and confetti.
“A couple different balloon companies offer biodegradable balloons,” Milac said. “We do offer a cleanup service as well so the strings and other accessories don’t end up an environmental hazard.”
The pair shared their business’s New Year’s resolutions for 2023. They would like to expand their offerings throughout the greater Syracuse area and get involved in more weddings and business events.
“I think we’re going to sign up for a few bridal shows this year to get our names out there,” Walker said.
Their balloon creations might only last a few days, but Milac and Walker said they help people create memories that last a lifetime.
“You’re joining people’s happy times. You’re helping them celebrate and create a memory,” Milac said. “You become part of the fabric of their day.”
To learn more, follow Blown Away Balloons on Facebook or @blown_away_balloons_syracuse on Instagram.
