Mini Kite Fest For The Handicapped...

[Knoted4ever]

Just a heads-up:

The one day Mini-kite-Fest that we will be having for the handicapped people where i work, will probably be taking place some time in June, on a week-day. i found out that it is likely that we will be able to have the event at the field adjacent to the local grade school in Dwight (IL). i had previously marked that area on our Maps site... as that is where i practice a lot after getting out of work at the end of the day.

A female co-worker's son, who is an athletic instructor by profession, will have many of the regular local grade school children at the event, to participate, and to help. The athletic instructor in keen on getting the "helpers" to learn about kites in the process! Also a few of the handicapped individuals from where i work will be able to fly kites too... but many are not interested/capable (though staff can help them a lot with hand-shaping and physical prompting)... many will enjoy just looking at the colorful kites! All of the students who are handicapped (except one or two), where i work, are in wheelchairs. i'll probably purchase a lot of $2 and $3 kites, like i did last year, for the event.

It would be neat if some of you could make it... to give demonstrations of your kite flying skills... and wow the audience!

i'll post more on it later... there's a lot of time until then...

[Mike]

Depending on the date, I should be able to make it.

[Knoted4ever]

i think it will probably be in the first week in June. Let me know when the best day would be for any of you, please.

Another thing that i will probably have going that day... is a DVD or two that the grade school kids and the handicapped folks can watch... with kite education, all the fancy music, and flying.

[Mike]

maybe the Mon the 4th or Tue 5th? Early in that week is better for me.
We'll all be in Naperville the 2 & 3.

[Knoted4ever]

Thanks Mike!... i'll try for that.

[BANSHEE]

As soon as you have the dat please post it.

Thanks

Banshee

[Knoted4ever]

Apparently, according to people in administration where i work, it's going to be too problematic regarding getting the handicapped individuals to the good (grade school) flying field. It is too distant, and getting wheelchairs there will involve too much. So we will have the Kite Festival for them, probably on June 11th or 12th. The park (i.e., Harmony Park) that we will use for this is extremely small (it' across the street from Fox Center), and is saturated with trees and with houses all around. However, we will fly small SLKs and do bubble stuff and have a blast, anyway. If any of you care to attend this, you can, but it will not be conducive to any real flying, other than with the $2 and $3 kites that we will be using while desperately trying to evade the many trees. A number of staff at Fox, who normally don't work with the individuals, do volunteer on that day... so we'll probably easily have enough help.

On June 4th, i will be working with from 20 to 30 kids from the local grade school. i plan on showing them some segments from a couple of good kite DVDs that i have, then we'll assemble some inexpensive $3 SLKs that they will later fly (each will get one)... i will present some info to them about dualies, quads, and SLKs; later we'll go to the grade school kite field. i'll let them try an inexpensive dualie that i have (with my assistance)... it's a Beetle. Later i'll demonstrate some dualie tricks; then we'll all fly (SLKs and dualies). Sharon's son Dave, who is a Phys. Ed. intern... will be helping and co-hosting the thing. i'm taking a vacation day for that day so that i can help with this; it will be worthwhile, i'm sure! If any of you would like to help with this, please keep in touch and we'll provide more info later. (A quad flier should probably be there, to keep my quadraphobia in check... and to ensure that i do not warn the little, innocent ones too much about the Dark Side!) It will probably last from 9:30AM to 11:30PM or a little later. Afterwards, i plan on going to lunch (in the town of Dwight right there) then i'll be flying my dualies there in the afternoon!

The newspapers, i am told, will be there to get a story on the event... which is cool! The weather had better be good or i will cry!

This is a dualie:

This is not a dualie:

[Mike]

I can probably do the June 4th thingy, but not the other one.
Somebody's gotta show those kids a !

[Knoted4ever]

That would be cool, Mike! The field adjacent to the school is pretty nice! i'll provide more detailed info later.