Community celebrated kite flying month with how-to classes and a party

By Sunny McKinnon
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

In celebration of April as National Kite Month, Highland Springs “took to the skies” with high-flying activities that culminated on Friday, April 13, with “Fun in the Park,” an afternoon of refreshments, music and contests.

Before the soaring
The month began with a series of kite-making workshops, providing individuals an opportunity to make and decorate kites for the party.

As it happens, one of the residents, Jim Couvillon, an electrical engineer and veteran of the U.S. Air Force, is somewhat of an expert in the art of kite-making.

In February and March, Couvillon conducted several kite-making classes for fellow residents and staff members. Each person decorated his or her own kite, giving it a unique personality.

Colorful backdrop
The handmade, decorated kites provided a colorful backdrop for “Fun in the Park,” when activities were held throughout the Hillcrest Clubhouse.

In the Cotton Belt Café, everyone was whisked back in time to the late ‘40s, enjoying treats reminiscent of an old-fashioned ice cream parlor and dancing to the sounds of a Dixieland band.

More creativity was on parade, literally, when individuals strolled through the party showing off their creations for the hat-decorating contest. Men and women wore exquisite— and sometimes outlandish— creations they designed, much to the delight and cheers of all the partygoers.

Kite facts

• The smallest kite in the world is 5 mm high.

• The longest kite in the world is 3,394 ft.

• The fastest recorded speed of a kit over 120 mph.

• The record for the highest single kite flown is 12,471 ft.

• The world record for the longest kite fly is 180 hours.

• Kites were used in the Civil War to deliver letters and newspapers.

• The Russians used kites to tow torpedoes in 1855 with great accuracy.

• There are over 50 million kites sold in the U.S. every year.