86 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • AUGUST 28, 2014 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com buzz Glendale balloon artist hits a healthy 500K views on YouTube BY SALVATORE LICATA [email protected]/@Sal_Licata1 One Glendale resident is ballooning her way to YouTube stardom and getting healthier in the process. Grace Brigham, better known as “Candy Twister” or “Candy the Clown NYC,” hit over 500,000 views on Aug. 18 for a video where she fi ts her full body into a balloon. She considered this a great feat, but more important than her balloon tricks leading to Internet limelight was how they helped her battle Multiple Sclerosis (MS). “I wasn’t sure how the video was going to do at fi rst, but seeing the hits I get now blows me away,” Brigham said. “Ever since I’ve been making balloon art I feel better.” Brigham started as a balloon artist at 42 years old while transitioning jobs and said she knew she had a niche for it. She is fi ghting MS, an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord, but said since she started her balloon art many of her symptoms have gone away. “Memory is always a big issue for people with MS,” Brigham said. “But I never forget how to make any type of balloon character. Doing balloon art is my passion I always feel great when I’m out there doing a show.” Brigham began doing balloon shows at restaurants like Applebee’s and Miller’s Ale House in Rego Park, where she is still a main attraction. She has done a great deal of shows around the city and can create virtually anything her patrons ask her to make on the spot. She even worked on a team with 74 other balloon artists to make a fi vestory, 50,000 balloon replica of Jack and the bean stalk. BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL ONSITE DOCTORS • EYE EXAMS • CONTACTS • 1 HOUR SERVICE • VISION PLANS ACCEPTED • SUNGLASSES • LOWEST PRICES FLEX SPENDING Use it or lose it! 2 PAIR OF EYEGLASSES QC QC QC $99 Includes: EYE EXAM, Frames & Lenses Select frames with clear plastic, single vision lenses+/- 4 sph., 2 cyl. Not valid with any other offers, sales, vision plans or packages. Must present prior to purchase. Offer valid at this location only. Offer ends: 9/24/14 NO-LINE BIFOCAL EYEGLASSES $99 Includes: EYE EXAM, No-Line Bifocal Lenses & Frame Select frame with select clear plastic no-line bifocal lenses +/- 4 sph., 2 cyl up to 2.50 add. Not valid with any other offers, sales, vision plans or packages. Must present prior to purchase. Offer valid at this location only. Offer ends: 9/24/14 BAY TERRACE SHOPPING CENTER 211-51 26 AVENUE • BAYSIDE, NY 11360 718.631.3699 *FREE with the purchase of glasses. Contact Lens Exam and EYE EXAM fitting add’l. *See store for details. QC DISPOSABLE CONTACTS $99 Includes: •EYE EXAM •2 Boxes of Lenses Contact Lens Fitting additional. Clear Soft contacts brand clear spherical lenses.Not Valid with any other offers, sales, vision plans or packages. Must present prior to purchase. Offer ends: 9/24/14 DESIGNER SUNGLASSES st STARTING AT $99 QC of the 2013 THE QUEENS QueensCourier.com Place Some Restrictions Apply. See Store For Details. In Stock Items Only. Not Valid with any other offers, sales, vision plans or packages. Must present prior to purchase. Offer expires: 9/24/14 She decided to try her famous “Climb in Balloon Stunt 1: Candy Twister,” as listed on YouTube, for the fi rst time last year by a friend’s house to see how it would work out. With its success, both in person and online, Brigham works the trick into every staged show she hosts. “People are always blown away to see how much work I put into my shows,” Brigham said. “But when you do what you love, everything just becomes fun. That’s what makes it kind of special.” Brighman will be playing her next show at the Rego Park Center on Queens Boulevard on Sept. 14 at 1 p.m. Along with staged shows she specializes in all types of private events. To find out more about Candy Twister go to candytwistedballoons.com or candytheclownnyc. vpweb.com. THE COURIER/Photos by Salvatore Licata
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