Kite Fest a fun-filled family event in Apollo Beach

By LOIS KINDLE

The Apollo Beach Nature Preserve was the scene of a high-flying event April 14 as the Apollo Beach Beautification Committee hosted its 10th annual Kite Fest.

About 60 school-age children assembled, decorated and then flew free, committee-supplied kites during the festival. They also enjoyed hot dogs supplied by Apollo Meats plus snacks and water purchased with a gift certificate from Winn Dixie at MiraBay.    

The free community gathering gave families an opportunity to spend some quality time together outdoors on a beautiful spring day.

The Mammoser family, of Riverview, came to the park to ride their scooters like they had five times before and were delighted to find the Kite Fest under way.

As 7-year-old Connor got his first kite aloft, his mother, Erika, beamed.

“We are blown away by this event,” she said. “It’s awesome how this event encourages families to enjoy time together.”

Linda Thiffault, 68, of Ruskin, agreed. She and her husband John came to fly kites themselves and watch kids scamper about the beach.

“In Bermuda, where I’m from originally, we fly kites, make codfish cakes and hot cross buns on Good Friday every year,” she said. “Kite flying is a challenge. It’s fun, and it makes me feel like a kid again.”

Thiffault brought along a “Flat Sophie” (made in the tradition of Flat Stanley) by her granddaughter Sophia, who lives in Matuchen, N.J. Thiffault said she planned to attach it to her kite but was afraid it would be blown off and lost in the wind.

The Apollo Beach Beautification Committee is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, which raises funds primarily through donations and its annual plant sale. The small group of dedicated residents maintain flower boxes along Apollo Beach Boulevard, display patriotic banners on Memorial Day, July 4 and Veterans Day and decorate the community for Christmas.

If you’d like to help keep this event going, mail a check made payable to the Apollo Beach Beautification Committee to Mary Lou Luce, 850 Symphony Isles Blvd., Apollo Beach, FL 33572.

All Photos by Lois Kindle

As Mary Lynne “Gammy” Sullivan, of Symphony Isles, helps decorate her 3-year-old granddaughter Josie’s kite, the child tries to figure out how to unfold its tail at the 10th annual Apollo Beach Kite Fest April 14.

Josh Sheppard, of Riverview, holds the string of daughter Raegan’s kite as she tries to get it aloft during the recent Kite Fest at Apollo Beach Nature Preserve.

LOIS KINDLE PHOTOS Linda Thiffault, of Ruskin, brought her granddaughter Sophia’s “Flat Sophie” to the Kite Fest in Apollo Beach April 14. The child lives in New Jersey, and Thiffault is responsible for taking “Sophie” wherever she and her husband, John, travel.

Larry Underwood, a member of the Apollo Beach Beautification Committee, which sponsors Kite Fest, assists 8-year-old Luna Smith with assembling her free kite.

A father and son attempt to get a newly decorated kite off the ground at the 10th annual Kite Fest in Apollo Beach.

Everyone has their own technique for getting their kites in the air and keeping them away from others, as demonstrated by this kid during Kite Fest.

A few youngsters brought their own kites from home to fly in the 10th annual Kite Fest at the Apollo Beach Nature Preserve.