Houston, TX-March 17, 2003 - The RE/MAX® Ballunar Liftoff Festival, tracing the progress of human flight from its beginning to present day,  is set to launch on the weekend of August 22-24 at the Johnson Space Center/NASA.   The annual event features approximately 100 visually spectacular hot air balloons, along with powered flight vehicles of every description, in a non-profit gathering that entertains and delights families while encouraging interest in aviation and space among young people through the study of mathematics and the sciences.

RE/MAX of Texas has entered into a three-year agreement as Title Sponsor of the state’s largest balloon festival.  Avid balloonist Richard Filip, CEO/Owner of RE/MAX of Texas , and fellow local pilot Steve Lombardi originally approached the Johnson Space Center in 1993 with the concept for the event.  Filip’s company offered critical financial support at the genesis, and has been a sponsor annually.

“We’re enthused about stepping up our level of support to the Festival,” said Filip.  “RE/MAX® has the world’s largest fleet (over 90) of hot air balloons, and this event highlights the spirits of adventure, education, entrepreneurship, and excellence, so our company’s involvement is a natural.”

The Festival, which opens at 6:00 pm on Friday, August 22nd, and 6:30 am on Saturday and Sunday, is one of the largest national balloon navigational and maneuvering competitions.  It additionally features skydiving exhibitions, and the aerial acrobatics of ultralight aircraft, hang-gliders, paragliders, and radio-controlled model aircraft.  Musical and other stage performances, astronauts, exhibitions of space and aviation hardware, arts and crafts, food concessions, and games will also entertain visitors.  Beyond balloons in traditional shapes, many are crafted in unusual forms, such as Uncle Sam, Bacardi Mixers, Wells Fargo’s ˘enter Stage, Schepps Dairy’s Airabelle the Cow, and numerous others.

The Ballunar Liftoff Festival at Johnson Space Center is on NASA Road I, two miles east of I-45 at the southern edge of Houston , next to Clear Lake .  For more information, visit www.ballunarfestival.com.

The RE/MAX network in Texas comprises 4270 members affiliated with 187 offices across the state, 51 in the Houston area.  Under the RE/MAX franchise name these independently owned and operated offices provide residential and commercial real estate services.  Since its inception in 1977, the RE/MAX organization in Texas has experienced 25 consecutive years of growth.  For more information on RE/MAX of Texas , visit www.remax-texas.com.

Ballunar Liftoff Festival, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its mission is to help the public learn about aviation and space exploration, and to sponsor and fund educational activities that encourage young people to learn about aviation and space and to study mathematics and the sciences.