'Balloon Boy' Family Auctioning Aircraft for $1M to Aid Japan Relief Efforts

[Bonobo]

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/balloon-boy-family-auctioning-aircraft-1m-japan/story?id=13745029

Richard and Mayumi Heene, the parents behind 2009's infamous "Balloon Boy" news story, have put the balloon on the auction block and are asking $1 million for it.

On the family's website BalloonBoyFlyingSaucer.com, Richard Heene says the money will go to charity to help earthquake and tsunami recovery efforts in Japan. "We will receive nothing," Heene says in a posted video.

In the nearly five-minute YouTube video, Heene appears with his wife, Mayumi, and the "experimental flying saucer." He explains that he designed the balloon so that people could travel 50-100 feet off the ground to and from work at 35 mph.

"All you people out there who have casinos and hotels, maybe you're a collector, and you want to attract people to your place of business, you could perhaps bid on this and use it as a tax writeoff and then folks will come in to see the experimental craft," he says.

[Bonobo]

1. I can't believe we can't get some DU love for Balloon Boy!

That family gave us so much. Now it's time to return it.

I'll kick off the bidding... $50 bucks. Who's next?

[ProdigalJunkMail]

2. "We will receive nothing," Heene says ...

right...these people are trash...funny, though. Thanks for the early morning laugh...

sP

[meegbear]

3. Not true, they'll receive another 15 minutes of fame .. better make that 10 seconds