"The World’s Largest Brain"

One summer evening, Dr. Gibbs had a chance encounter seeing the Wehrenberg Theaters’ Popcorn Bag Hot Air Balloon. As he left the hospital after a long day of neurosurgery, the epiphany for the Brain Balloon was triggered when he noticed the shape and detail of the giant popcorn kernels. He wondered; " If a hot air balloon could be manufactured in the shape of giant popcorn kernels, why not in the shape of a human brain?" As the Chief Resident Neurosurgeon at the University of Missouri School of Medicine he discovered the perfect "vehicle" to super-size the message for everyone with a neurological disease, disorder, or injury.

Aerostar International, a leading hot air balloon manufacturer, was contacted to discuss the feasibility of the project, and eventually they constructed the gigantic icon. Working with large clay models, and over 900 complex engineering renderings, the technicians at Aerostar successfully completed this anatomical and aeronautical challenge.

After months of planning, and thousands of yards of precision-cut and sewn balloon fabric, with a team of 150 people, and over 15,500 hours of labor, the Brain Balloon rolled off of the assembly line. It was first inflated indoors on March 5th, 2001, pictured here.

The natural popularity of this larger-than-life icon was born. It’s massive structure captures imaginations and creates an atmosphere that quickly lends itself to the Brain Balloon’s mission: To raise public awareness about the importance of the brain and the diseases that afflict it, while promoting education, and encouraging all people to live their lives with high purpose.

What began as a dream (and an unlikely one at that) has become an impressive reality enjoyed by millions around the globe. "Ironically, the Brain Balloon is a testimony to it’s own mission," Gibbs reflects, "it's a huge object lesson that says ‘you’ll never know what you might accomplish until you put your mind to it’."

Dr. Gibbs founded The International Brain Foundation and created the Brain Balloon to enlist other individuals and companies around the world to join him in this mission. Gibbs comments, "The brain is the organ of discovery, hope and human possibility…We’re not just flying a balloon, we’re flying a mission for education, inspiration, and a celebration of human intelligence."