Easter Tradition – By Deslyn A Joseph
Easter Tradition Soars 21St
Dain Dorsette and his dragon kite soared to a first-place finish at the 21st International Kite Flying Festival, securing $300 in cash as the event took flight at the historic Devil’s Bridge on Easter Monday. Devron Allen secured second place with a $200 cash prize, while Adrian Peters took third place, winning $100.
According to Calvin Pilgrim of CPKites, the competition was a celebration of 21 years of community support and was “very well supported” by both locals and tourists.
Pilgrim noted that while it was a very windy day that sent many locally made “door-bar” kites to the “kite hospital” for repairs, the overall support was stronger than last year. He highlighted that several vendors, and the “bigger fish man” were completely sold out of their products by 3 pm. He also praised the work of the cleanup crews, stating they did an excellent job keeping the surroundings tidy throughout the day.
However, Joshuanette Francis, President of Good Humans 268, offered a more sobering perspective on the aftermath. Marking their second year partnering with the festival, she noted that while her team was on the ground all day managing and emptying bins, a follow-up sweep the next morning revealed a persistent litter problem.
The festival also placed strong emphasis on family participation, with 12 families competing in the largest family group category. Taking the top prize in this segment was the Jairam family, headed by Kevin Jairam. With 26 members in their group, the Jairams walked away with $1000 in cash. The Peets family, led by Judith Peets, finished as the second-largest group with 16 members, receiving a $500 gift voucher for a hamper from Anjo Wholesale, distributor of Dutch Lady.
Outside of the annual festival, CPKites continues its community outreach through kite-building and flying workshops for schools, churches, and youth groups.
Additionally, the team hosts sessions at Devil’s Bridge between 2 pm and 4 pm every first Sunday of the month for public lessons and kite repairs.
Pilgrim expressed his gratitude to the public and sponsors, including Anjo Wholesale and M&M Service Station, for their continued support of this cherished national tradition.
