AUGUST 18, 2016 // 9
See a kite-lying spectacle
Washington State
International Kite
Festival is biggest
festival of its kind
SUBMITTED PHOTO
The 12th annual Buddy Walk at the Beach will take place Sept.
17 in Seaside. Registration is open to participate.
Register for Buddy
Walk at the Beach
12th annual walk
promotes local
programs for
adults with special
needs Sept. 17
SEASIDE — Registration is
now open for the 12th annu-
al Buddy Walk at the Beach,
set for Sept. 17 in downtown
Seaside.
Buddy Walk at the Beach
is a national Down syndrome
and special needs aware-
ness walk that promotes
acceptance and community
support of people with devel-
opmental disabilities.
Like last year, the
nonproit Sammy’s Place
is sponsoring this year’s
Buddy Walk. Founded in
2006, Sammy’s Place seeks
to create a nature-centered
living, working and respite
community on the North
Coast of Oregon for people
with special needs and those
who share their journey.
The 2015 Buddy Walk
at the Beach raised over
$38,000 from nearly 500
supporters.
“We were bolstered by
the groundswell of support
we received last year and
heard that our vision was,
indeed, shared by our special
needs friends,” said Sam-
my’s Place President Julie
Chick. “We have our work
cut out for ourselves and
want to keep the momentum
moving forward.”
This year’s goal is to raise
an additional $15,000. You
can register online to partic-
ipate in the Buddy Walk at
the Beach or make a dona-
tion at www.crowdrise.com/
BuddyWalkattheBeach2016
Most of the funds raised
will continue to be used to
purchase land to implement
Sammy’s Place’s vision of
an inclusive residential com-
munity. Additionally, Sam-
my’s Place is now turning its
attention toward launching
nature-based programs for
and with the special needs
community. These programs
will be focused on recre-
ational, educational and
employment opportunities.
Sammy’s Place seeks to
empower the special needs
community of Tillamook
and Clatsop counties by
creating opportunities to en-
gage with the extraordinary
natural environments of the
North Coast of Oregon. Ad-
ditionally, Sammy’s Place is
working towards providing
alternative housing options
for adults with disabilities.
For more information
about Sammy’s Place, visit
www.sammysplace.info
LONG BEACH, Wash. — All
things kites will take over
Long Beach as the Wash-
ington State International
Kite Festival wraps up this
weekend August 18 to 21.
The festival offers a full,
entertaining program of kite
competitions, exhibitions
and demonstrations, kite
making and lying lessons,
mass ascensions, indoor kite
ballet, a teddy bear drop
and more on the spaciously
sandy beach.
“For kite lyers this is the
kite festival to ly at and be
seen lying at,” said Holli
Friddle-Kemmer, festival
organizer and director of the
World Kite Museum. “For
those that want to try kite
lying and other spectators,
it’s a very user-friendly
event where participation by
all ages is encouraged.”
Crowd favorites include
the Rokkaku Battles, sport
kites lessons and lying,
themed mass ascensions,
mystery ballet, and, on
Friday, the magical lighted
night ly followed by a ire-
works display.
This year, Island Quad,
a remarkable team of quad
line kite lyers from British
Columbia, will be featured
at the festival. Working on
a freeform type of format
instead of choreographed
routines, the Island Quad
leader uses commands
similar to a caller in tradi-
tional square dancing to put
a show together. With music,
good winds, and the crowds’
appreciation, Island Quad
puts their very best effort
into surprising and thrill-
ing a crowd. They will be
performing artfully choreo-
graphed, breathtaking feats
throughout the week.
An expanded lineup of
PHOTO BY JOSHUA BESSEX
The Washington State International Kite Festival ills the skies of Long Beach with kites of all
shapes and sizes.
PHOTO BY JOSHUA BESSEX
Barry Tislow, of Renton, Wash., needs some help
as he tries to pull down his 750-square-foot kite at
last year’s Washington International Kite Festival.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
PHOTO BY NATALIE ST. JOHN
The annual kite parade battled strong winds last year
live music will add to the
festivities in the beergarden
on the Bolstad beach access.
Hear Pretty Gritty from 3
to 5 p.m. Thursday and The
Fog Band from 6 to 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday.
On Saturday, everyone is
welcome to join or watch the
Parade of Colors, which will
line up at 12:45 p.m. at the
north end of the Long beach
Boardwalk and then march
Bolstad Avenue beach approach is full of
crowds and vendor tents during the Wash-
ington State International Kite Festival.
down the boardwarlk and
around Field A.
Saturday evening will
see a Dinner, Auction &
Tribute event held at the
Long Beach Elks Lodge,
located at 106 N. Paciic
Way. Tickets are $25 and
available during the week
at the kite museum, at the
museum’s tent and at the
door. Only 200 tickets will
be sold. Doors open for a
no-host bar at 5:30 p.m.,
and dinner begins at 7 p.m.
There will be bag, silent and
live auctions.
The Washington State
International Kite Festival
is the longest running and
biggest kite festival in the
U.S.
For a downloadable event
program and more informa-
tion, visit www.kitefestival.
com