BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – IN keeping with tradition, Parliamentary Representative of Constituency Number Seven and Leader of Team Unity, the Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris hosted another successful Good Friday Kite Flying Competition and Family Fun Day at Black Rocks in Belle Vue.
The event had created a change in that part of St. Kitts’ landscape as many kites took flight and turned the sky into a kaleidoscopic starburst of colours and shapes.
Families, including some from Belle Vue and neighbouring communities, had turned out in their numbers with picnic baskets to participate in the day’s activity.
Speaking with this publication, Dr. Harris expressed joy at the number of persons gathered, stating that the activity has grown over the years.
He said the annual Good Friday tradition is held mainly to “relive” the tradition of kite flying, which he noted “had been lost over time”.
“Well today we are having another Good Friday commemoration day at Black Rocks Belle Vue. This is an annual event put on by my Constituency. When we started a few years back the intention was to relive, as it were, the tradition of kite flying on Good Friday which had been lost over time. And so we decided to, as it were, reinstitute that so the young people could really participate in what for us growing up was a very rich and wholesome tradition.”
Dr. Harris explained that since its inception some four years ago, the event has grown “not only in terms of the number of participants, but that it has extended from beyond participation by persons within the Constituency to persons from neighbouring districts. And indeed the last two years the competition had been won by participants from as far as St Paul’s”.
“We are happy to have them and to add to the competition of the Good Friday activities here in Black Rocks,” he added.
Dr. Harris declared that this year’s turnout was more than that of previous years with a “large gathering of young people”.
“This is good because, to them, we would want them to hold on to this tradition and to continue the legacy and tradition of kite flying. So I am very happy as a Parliamentarian. And as a representative I would want to congratulate the organisers of this event,” Harris said.
He also declared that more activities were added to this year’s event, which also saw increased participation from individuals from various communities around the island.
The day’s events saw individuals being judged in several categories, including, the Largest Kite, Youngest Person to Fly a Kite, Prettiest Kite, Oldest Person to Fly a Kite, and the Highest Soaring Kite. There were also Beach Football, Cricket and Volleyball Competitions along with Bouncing Castles for the children.
Winners of the various judged categories were presented cash and other prizes for their efforts.
