KiteFest Cayman!

By Contributor

After the cancellation of last year’s KiteFest due to COVID, the team at Kaibo were keen to kick start the event this year, and Easter Monday proved to be the busiest day of the long Easter Weekend!

Kaibo joined forces with local charity, One Dog at a Time, who rescue dogs from the pound, as well as saving surrendered and feral dogs and pups. It was the first year that the event had been held by ODAAT and it was a great afternoon for all involved!

Setting up their kites for sale in the Kaibo Cabana, the team soon had a long line of participants, clamouring to buy their kites of all shapes and sizes! Some kites could even be decorated by the flyers prior to the competition. With eight different categories to enter, including best small kite and best family participation, the event started at around 2pm, with many entrants keen to show off, not only the kite flying skills but also some of the most amazing kites!

The judges Andrew Bodden from JUNK Recycling and Elizabeth Riley, photographer and a teaching assistant at Cayman Prep and High School, had a difficult time selecting the winners! They were both looking for not only great looking kites but ones that would fly! “We are so lucky to have such a beautiful setting for these amazing creations,” said Elizabeth Riley “The colours, the styles and the techniques used to fly them are fantastic!”

Norman Linton entered the best decorated kite category and can be seen with his winning entry, the Red Hawk. Linton said he initially purchased the spectacularly detailed kite to ward off iguanas but soon realised that it wasn’t the best deterrent he could have chosen! The design made it a bit beak heavy and, by the time he had managed to launch it, the iguanas had actually been scared away by the guffaws of laughter at his attempts to fly it!

Ian and Phillip Whan-Tong won best family of kite fliers! Ian said, “We’ve been flying kites for years and we just love it! We’ve been here since early morning practising our skills and it’s great that there’s been a breeze for them to soar through the air!”

Other winners included Lucas for the best youth kite, Holt Riley for the biggest kite, Jordan Johnson for the smallest kite, Daniell for the highest-flying kite, Ava for the youngest kite flier and Alex for the most environmentally friendly kite!

ODAAT Vice President said “The event raised over $1,300 which are much needed funds to pay vets bills, currently averaging at $4,000 per month. All our dogs and pups are fully vaccinated, spayed and neutered and receive any additional veterinary care once rescued. We currently have 27 adoptable dogs, and there are more on the horizon! A corporate sponsor would be awesome as this would allow us to expand further, continue running our shop and begin employing staff for a new socialisation venture which will assist both foster dogs and adopted dogs within the One Dog family.” She added, “We’re already planning next year’s KiteFest at Kaibo and seeking out more kites and different designs to sell. If any individuals or companies would consider assisting us with purchasing the kites or even helping the kites be imported, please let us know!”

For more information on any events, applying to foster or adopt puppies, make donations or assist in any way, please contact info@odaat.ky, onedogatatimeky@gmail.com, contact 345 9173370 or 345 9267506 or message onedogatatime13 via their Facebook Page.