LEWISTON — Two nursing home residents who were supposed to live their dream of sailing in a hot air balloon will get their wish, as long as the weather holds Sunday.

John McDonald, 93, of Portland, and Lewiston native Patrice Lewis, 57, will ride with Lewiston pilot Jim Rodrigue’s balloon, “Tailwinds” late Sunday afternoon.

“Right now the weather looks good,” said Great Falls Balloon Festival treasurer Mell Hamlyn.

McDonald and Lewis were supposed to ride during last month’s festival. But this was the wettest Maine summer on record. Rain prevented the balloons from going up five out of six launches during the festival.

Both Lewis and McDonald won a Maine Health Care Association contest, “Live Your Dream” for nursing home residents. The contest is based on the premise that it’s never too late to reach goals, hopes and dreams, almost like the 2007 movie, “The Bucket List” starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.

In his application for the balloon ride contest, McDonald said he lost his wife and best friend in 2007 after they were together for 64 years. Continuing on without her has been hard work, McDonald said. Getting his dream of riding in a hot air balloon could be a kind of reward, he told contest organizers.

Lewis, who is disabled and lives at a nursing home in Deer Isle, lived in Lewiston for much of her life. “Ever since she was a small girl she loved hot air balloons,” said Nadine Grosso of the Maine Health Care Association. “She watched the balloons every year in Lewiston, and always dreamed in flying in one, but could never afford it.”

Sunday’s launch will be between 5:30 to 6 p.m. at the Simard-Payne Memorial Park near the Bates Mill complex in Lewiston, the same site of the festival.

As of Friday, only the “Tailwinds” balloon was scheduled to fly. More could join, Hamlyn said.