Photo: Matt Riley / UVA Communications
UVA is flush with traditions—streaking the Lawn, painting Beta Bridge, singing “The Good Old Song” after, well, almost anything—but only a few of them, like the Balloon Brigade, come with altruistic intentions. Each year during Final Exercises, students are encouraged to carry a balloon that represents who they are and, after they’ve tossed their caps, the balloons are taken to UVA Health’s Children’s Hospital to delight the young patients. The initiative, which began in 2019, keeps the balloons from being released into the environment and gives back to the community. That’s what it means to rise to the occasion.
