Balloon Buddies

Post date: February 23, 2021 9:08 am

by Elizabeth Swan

If you have a relative or friend who is alone and could use some cheering up, or any type of celebration large or small, you don’t have to look any farther. Stephanie Cofield is a Certified Balloon Artist, and the owner of Manahawkin-based Celebration Creations.

For the past 34 years Stephanie has been creating memories with her thoughtful and intricate balloon designs. Although she creates on a larger scale for corporate events, her passion is the more intimate and personal celebrations. Taking the time to really listen, her designs have brought clients to the brink of tears. When asked to provide an overview of what she did, she answered, “I help people make their dreams come true”.

As a giving person, Stephanie has always looked for ways to give back to the community. This winter she, along with other balloon professionals, will be delivering bundles of happiness to local assisted living and rehabilitation centers through a newly created “Adopt a Grandparent” program, with the first deliveries going out in time for Valentine's Day. For a $20 donation, an assisted living and rehabilitation resident receives a beautifully and thoughtfully crafted “Balloon Buddy”.

Stephanie is a member of Balloon Boss Mastermind, a group of balloon professionals who collaborate and support each other in their business endeavors. They share a passion for doing more for their community, and collectively came up with a vision for the “Adopt A Grandparent” program. The initial goal was to provide a Balloon Buddy for all 80 residents of the Residence at Stafford, but thanks to the incredible outpouring of support on the heels of a very difficult year, the program has also been able to provide Balloon Buddies to 75 residents of Barnegat Nursing and Rehabilitation, 55 residents of Brandywine Living in Toms River, and 65 residents of Seacrest Village in Little Egg Harbor. Some of these facilities are not fully adopted, so please consider visiting the Celebration Creations website at www.celebrationcreations.biz, or contacting Stephanie at 732-822-8383.

For those concerned with the environmental impact that balloons have on the environment, Stephanie uses Qualatex latex balloons, which are eco friendly and biodegradable. When foil balloons are mixed in for effect, she provides a card with a pledge that reminds her clients to safely and properly dispose of the balloons.

When asked how she felt about helping the community, she simply replied with “no words can describe how it makes me feel”. She has always wanted to find a way to give back and help others, and through her program, and she is doing just that.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to help create and deliver these Valentine’s Day Balloon Buddies, an experience that I will always cherish. The amount of time and effort that is involved is a testament to Stephanie’s passion for bringing smiles. Being surrounded by this little army of Balloon Buddies just waiting to be delivered surely brought a smile to my face! Stephanie is a great inspiration, and truly cares about those she doesn’t even know - a real hero among us.