Tara and Josh Heitmann don’t just have big hearts—they have lots of them. Heart-shaped balloons, to be exact. The couple, originally from Britton and now based in Aberdeen, own Beyond the Balloon, a party supply and rental company specializing in balloon displays. While Valentine’s Day is always a busy time for their business, it’s even more hectic thanks to a special initiative they launched a few years ago. Through their Adopt a Grandparent program, the Heitmanns are spreading love to the elderly—one balloon display at a time.
Beyond the Balloon was born at the height of COVID when Tara (an Aberdeen native) and Josh (from Lake City) were looking for ways to make their children’s birthdays special. “I thought a balloon arch would be fun,” Tara recalls, “but I couldn’t find a company that offered one.” So, they got creative and made the display themselves.
Realizing a gap in the market, the Heitmanns spent the winter of 2020 teaching themselves balloon art. When they launched Beyond the Balloon in February 2021, orders poured in.
“We never expected it to take off like that,” Tara admits. But it did—so much so that both eventually left their full-time jobs to focus on the business, along with their photography venture, Emmy Gray Photography.
Since then, Beyond the Balloon has flourished, providing balloons, displays, and party rentals for weddings, birthdays, showers, and graduations. With demand soaring, they even purchased a delivery truck to transport large-scale displays. Their balloon creations have brought joy to events from Rapid City to Fargo to Sioux Falls—and beyond.
A special way Beyond the Balloon spreads joy is through its Adopt a Grandparent program, which is in full swing this week for Valentine’s Day. Thanks to community donations, the initiative delivers festive balloon displays and handmade cards primarily to residents of local nursing homes and healthcare facilities.
The idea came from a fellow balloon artist in Texas, Tara explains. “I saw that this woman did it for a single nursing home, and we wondered if we could try something similar here.”
In 2022, the Heitmanns set out to collect enough donations to bring Valentine’s gifts to 84 residents at Bethesda Nursing Home in Aberdeen. They weren’t sure what to expect—but within just 15 minutes, all spots were filled.
“People went nuts for the idea,” Josh recalls. As word spread, other nursing homes reached out, hoping their residents could also receive Valentines. Donations continued pouring in, allowing them to expand the program, including to Wheatcrest Hills Nursing Home in Britton. That first year, they made and delivered an astonishing 484 Valentines—just a glimpse of what was to come.
“The idea just snowballed,” Tara says. In 2023, deliveries climbed to over 700, and the following year, they surpassed 1,000.
This Valentine’s Day, the Heitmanns are set to deliver nearly 1,200 balloon displays, spreading love from Roslyn to Redfield and everywhere in between. Coordinating this massive effort is no small task. The couple begins working a week before delivery, crafting each display largely by themselves.
“We can’t make them too far ahead, or the balloons lose their shininess,” Tara explains. The process is demanding—“We tie balloons until our fingers bleed,” she jokes. Over the years, they’ve perfected their method, reducing assembly time to just about a minute per display. But with so many to complete, the workload remains intense.
When it’s time for delivery, Josh hits the road, often with help from their parents, bringing smiles to seniors across northeast South Dakota.
Despite the effort involved—especially during a busy season—the Heitmanns never question why they do it. “It’s unbelievable what a balloon can do to brighten someone’s day, especially the elderly,” Tara says. “We often hear from nursing home staff that some residents keep their Valentines for months.”
The couple is grateful for the overwhelming community support. “People in Britton have been especially generous, making sure Wheatcrest and now Spruce Court are taken care of,” Josh notes.
Though they’ll need a well-earned rest after this week, the Heitmanns are already planning for next year. “We’ll keep it going because people love it,” Tara says. While donations for this year have closed, they encourage supporters to keep an eye on their Facebook page next January.
After all, there are always more hearts to touch.
