QUICK CHEK NEW JERSEY FESTIVAL OF BALLOONING, IN ASSOCIATION WITH PNC BANK

A quarter century ago, visitors to a rest stop in Bloomsbury, NJ were treated to a unique and colorful sight - the first hot air balloon ascensions of The New Jersey Festival of Ballooning.

Over the last two decades, the event, now known as The Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning, has grown into the largest summertime balloon festival in North America. Celebrating its Silver Anniversary, this year's event was held at Solberg Airport in Readington, NJ on July 27 - 29. Considered "A State Fair With Balloons," it featured a spectacular armada of 125 hot air balloons, headline concerts featuring nationally-recognized artists, 200 arts & crafters, a wide variety of family entertainment, and tons of fun for children of all ages. The headline concerts included Chuck Negron, formerly of Three Dog Night, Blues Traveler and Creedence Clearwater Revisited.

Mr. John has serviced The Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning since the festival was bought by Festival of Ballooning, Inc. back in 1992. Currently Mr. John provides almost 200 units, including an abundance of ADA-compliant units, plenty of handwash sinks, as well as two (2) restroom trailers for the VIP's in the festival's picturesque Corporate Hospitality Village.

"Two things have really impressed me," according to Ken Staats, Vice President of Operations for the festival. "First, they always ‘refresh' their stock of toilets by constantly bringing on-line brand new units. Second, their commitment to service is unmatched. They have taken the time to really understand the challenges in servicing this huge event, and they subscribe to the motto ‘Failure is not an option.' Their pre-planning is very thorough, so when it comes time to load in for the festival, everyone knows exactly what needs to be done. It's not a very glamorous job, but they take their business seriously."

The Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning, whose major sponsor is the family-owned Quick Chek Corporation and its network of 108 convenience stores, is proud of its record of supporting local, regional and charitable organizations. For the past 15 years, the festival and Quick Chek have teamed up to support the Children's Miracle Network, whose bright orange balloon has become an annual fan favorite.

For more information on The Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning, please visit www.balloonfestival.com or call (800) 468-2479.