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High School Students Help Out RNC

These Garfield Heights High School students spent the morning filling up red, white, and blue balloons. [photo: Phoebe Petrovic / ideastream]

More than 100 band and choir students from Garfield Heights High School spent hours today inflating thousands of red, white, and blue balloons for the Republican National Convention. Jermaine Thomas used to sing tenor in the choir, and graduated this past May. But he joined his high school friends and teachers today to help out.

"Because after they announce the candidate they drop the balloons, and you know, people say it’s their favorite thing for them to watch," said Thomas. "So we’re just filling up the balloons for them to drop off. It’s really cool. It’s exciting to be part of something that’s good for the city, you know."

The company responsible for the balloon-drop operation, Glasshouse Balloons, contacted the school this spring. Glasshouse provides rows of high-pressure air spigots, which the students use to inflate the balloons quickly. The real task is tying them up.

The students arrived early in the morning and worked through lunchtime. For their services, they received a donation from Glasshouse to their booster club. Many students say they plan to watch the results of their efforts next week from the comfort of their homes.