The statement below is attributable to Mayor Yemi:
“Today, Colorado Springs lost one of the great explorers and pioneers of our modern age. I am deeply saddened by the unexpected passing of Scott Appelman, the founder and CEO of Rainbow Ryders and the co-producer for the Colorado Springs Labor Day Lift Off for the last 9 years. Scott was a giant in the ballooning world, having operated his business for more than 40 years in the greatest ballooning cities in the world, including Albuquerque, Phoenix, and Colorado Springs. His commitment to ballooning was so much more than a hobby or a business – it was a passion and a way of life, and more importantly – a way to give life to so many people. From young children looking in awe as a balloon launches into the sky, to marriage proposals at thousands of feet in the air, to seniors checking a bucket list experience in their last years, Scott was to the very end a champion of wonder, of play, and of the human spirit that will always smile at the sight of a colorful hot air balloon rising into the blue sky. My heart and my prayers are with Scott’s wife, family, his many friends, his team of pilots and staff, and the entire hot air ballooning community, and I know the entire city of Colorado Springs grieves with me at the immense loss to our city.”