Miranda Pederson/Daily News One hundred red balloons were released Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013 to celebrate the beginning of the new school year at Holy Trinity Lutheran School. The balloons had stickers with a Bible verse printed on them along with the message "sent with love from the students of Holy Trinity Lutheran School."

Dozens of children cheered with excitement Wednesday morning as they launched more than 100 red balloons into the air in the parking lot of Holy Trinity Lutheran School. 

“This is something we do every year to kick off the school year,” admissions counselor Sarah Ricciardi said. “If they’re found by anybody, it’s a source of encouragement.”

The balloons had stickers with a Bible verse printed on them, along with a message: “Sent with love from the students of Holy Trinity Lutheran School.”

“It gives us a chance to teach the kids how to give encouragement to others so the focus isn’t just on us all the time,” Ricciardi said.

At least one balloon traveled out of state in the past. A couple of years ago, a woman in Alabama called Holy Trinity to say she had found the balloon, and it gave her hope. 

“You never know who’s going to find it, and it’s nice to think that it will make a difference,” Ricciardi said.

Carrying the balloons to those who can use encouragement is God’s doing, said Karen Mitchell, director of school ministry.

“That’s God’s work,” she said. “He takes them where He wants them to go.”

Zach Schmaltz, 11, of Bowling Green, a sixth-grader at Holy Trinity, likes the idea that his balloon could make someone’s day better. 

“I thought it was cool,” he said. “Just by sending a balloon, you can share God’s love. … The thought of ‘what if my balloon is the one that someone finds?’ That’s pretty cool.”

Monday was the first day of school at Holy Trinity, but Wednesday was the first chapel service when all students were together, so that was the best opportunity for the balloon launch, Mitchell said.

“It’s just one more way to witness to the community, who we are, what we believe,” she said.

The activity is also a hands-on learning experience for the students.

“One of the things we try to teach is that God calls each one of us to be his messenger in the community,” Mitchell said. The balloon launch is “a way the children can be actively involved in being Jesus’ disciples.”

— Laurel Wilson covers faith and general assignments for the Daily News. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/FaithinBG or visit bgdailynews.com.