Benedetta Chan is used to sparking joy in people with her balloon art. The bright, ornate displays are a popular feature at the birthday parties and other gatherings Chan organizes with her event planning business, Pretty Sweet Deets. But Chan never imagined she’d be using her talents as a means to inspire hope and joy during a pandemic.

Inspired by a worldwide balloon art initiative she found online, One Million Bubbles of Hope, Chan spent her weekend crafting balloon garlands; one for the staff at MemorialCare hospital, where she works as a financial counselor for the radiology oncology department, and another for the public to enjoy on Retro Row.

As healthcare workers stepped into the office Friday morning, they could find their name written on a balloon attached with a message of gratitude.

“Everybody loved it,” Chan said. “It brought joy.”

The next day, On April 11, Chan and her husband Erick Guadarrama, a street artist who’s known locally by the name Sparc, spent the sunny Saturday afternoon painting the outside of the boarded up gastropub, The Social List, on Retro Row. Chan’s balloon feature was the final touch to the display.

The One Million Bubbles website says that “Nothing brings smiles to people’s faces like balloons do, and the professional balloon decorating and entertainment industry wants to help people find their smiles and joy during this challenging and frightening time we have entered.” The worldwide initiative had more than 350 balloon artists from 15 countries participating in its first installment on March 26. After a successful reception, they brought it back for a second iteration on April 11 and 12.

Through Chan and Guadarrama’s talents, they hope to encourage people to keep their spirits up. The phrase “It’s gonna be O.K,” was added to the adjoining wall in bubble letters; reassurance Chan and her husband believe in wholeheartedly.

“I think everything is going to be OK,” Chan said. “This is going to go away and we’ll all return to a normal life.”