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Kite Flight founder remembered at 19th annual kite flying event |
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Wednesday, 09 September 2009 |
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By ELLEN MORTENSEN
Chief Assistant Editor
CALLAWAY - - This was year 19 for the Callaway Kite Flight, but this year was different. Something was missing. Or should we say, someone was missing.
The kite fly was the brainchild of Callaway’s Connie May, who passed away March 1, 2009. Saturday morning hundreds of Callaway residents and annual attendees of the Kite Flight gathered to pay tribute to May by releasing white balloons into the air at the field that hosts the yearly event.
May, born Connie Jean Morse, grew up in the Sargent area graduating as valedictorian of her class from Sargent High School in 1964. A year later she married Gerald May, and shortly after the couple adopted Callaway as their hometown.
May was very active in the community, and received many honors and accomplishments throughout her lifetime. However, her great joy, according to her family, was seeing her dream of an annual kite fly become a reality.
In 1991, May solicited the help of then American Kite Fliers Association Region VII Director Scott Skinner, and Don Murphy, who remains the current director. The two men helped guide her in publicizing the event for both professional and amateur fliers. Both were in Callaway this past weekend for the 19th annual flight, and to pay homage to their friend, Connie May.
When May approached the community with the idea of bringing professional kite fliers to central Nebraska, everyone thought perhaps she was biting off more than she could chew. But 19 years later, she has shown everyone that was not the case.
The Callaway Kite Flight always occurs on Labor Day weekend, and was originally held at the golf course. Several years ago the event moved to a field four and one-half miles southeast of Callaway, with the new site given the name Foster Smith Field. The valley with the rolling hills in the background provides the perfect setting for kite enthusiasts and spectators alike.
Each year the event has grown. Callaway has been named one of the top 10 places to fly a kite by USA Today, and is designated as the Kite Flight capital of Nebraska. It is an AKA sanctioned event, and has hosted guests from 12 nations and 25 states, with flags representing each of those lining the entryway to the field.
Last year organizers instituted fly zones, allowing space for both amateurs and professionals to fly their kites without worry. Due to the positive response from fliers to the fly zones, it was repeated this year.
Along with the opportunity to fly kites or just watch them be flown, there is also a concession stand and a couple of vendors. May’s goal was to establish a family oriented event that folks of all ages could enjoy. That describes the Callaway Kite Flight.
With another successful flight in the books, organizers are already preparing for the 20th celebration next year. And though May is no longer here to see it, her legacy lives on with the colorful kites that fill the sky each year near the town she so loved. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 16 September 2009 )
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