Local siblings create fishing ‘Balloon Round Up’ contest

In Ocean City, a brother and sister are taking matters into their own hands when it comes to cleaning up the ocean..

12-year-old Josh Blume and 10-year-old Emily Blume have launched their own balloon round up contest, called Blume's Balloon Round Up.

Josh says, "We started a competition in Ocean City for whoever can collect the most mylar balloons out of the ocean." 

"We started it because our dad said that he's been seeing a lot of balloons out in the ocean and we just wanted to try and help the animals," explains Emily. 

And that's exactly what's happening. They're just one week into the competition and it's already hit the ground running.

The local fishermen are all hands on deck.

"It's been a big topic of conversation on the radios. Like in our regular fishing tournaments we have to call in when we release a marlin, well the other day we were calling in when we were picking up balloons and everyone was having a good time with it. It actually got as much radio play as people catching fish," explains Franky Pettolina, owner of OC Marlin Club and contest participant. 

38 Fishermen are already participating and have posting their balloon roundups on the kids' Facebook page.

"At first it was just for Ocean City, it was just the boats in Ocean City, but we had people ask if they could do it in like Delaware, Virginia, and New Jersey and Florida." 
 
Pettolina adds, "I wouldn't be surprised if it goes much further than just the East Coast." 

Over 300 balloons have already been scooped up, but the goal is 1000 by the end of September.

"If we can collect a lot of balloons, that will save a bunch of animals, like one balloon could be the matter of life or death for a sea turtle or something," says Josh. 

And if you haven't joined in on the fun Emily has a message for you: "I would like them to try and get as many balloons as they can and really just have fun doing it."