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Ken Wilkowski held his flag-themed kite up and signaled the pilot at the other end.
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Lydia Thompson, 8, of Rushford, Minn., flies a kite Friday at Creekside Park in Rushford. The Brunswick United Methodist Church and the Rushford Area Chamber of Commerce gave away more than 200 kites at the show. (Photo by Fred Schulze/Winona Daily News) |
He let go as the wind picked up.
The kite soared through the air above the heads of a few dozen families, all participating in Minnesota Kite Society’s Kite Show on Friday at Creekside Park in Rushford.
The Fourth of July event was organized by Wilkowski, president of the society, and Heather Larson, executive director of the Rushford Area Chamber of Commerce.
Wilkowski, of Robinsdale, Minn., started flying kites with his kids.
“This is how I started,” Wilkowski said, as he helped children get their kites going. “I just started being crazy with kids.”
The kite society organizes flies all over the state.
Wilkowski decided to bring some kite fun to Rushford after seeing the aftermath of last year’s flood while training on tractor-trailers with FedEx in September.
He solicited funds from his friends at Brunswick United Methodist Church, who bought 250 kites to give away to kids at the event.
“I saw how people were working so hard to hold their families and houses together,” Wilkowski said. “I thought, Let’s just have them do something fun.’”
Kids some first-time kite flyers, some experienced ran around with parents and siblings in tow.
“Mine was way up in the air,” Thomas Ekern, 4, said.
Some families traveled from out of town.
Six-year-old McKenzie Gordon and 2-year-old Ellie of Rosemount, Minn., were in town visiting grandparents.
McKenzie, 6, kept her kite up for a jaunt around the entire field.
“I’ve flown a kite before,” McKenzie said, “but it’s been a long time.”
