More than 100 people entered “flight school” late Saturday morning and early afternoon as part of a practice run for a record-breaking event.
W.O.W. Kites Over Enid is an attempt to set the Guinness World Record for most number of kites in the air at one time as well as raising awareness of wind energy possibilities in the Enid area.
The current record, according to www.kitesoverenid.com, is 967 simultaneously flying kites, set on Aug. 29, 2008, at Melle-Gronegau, Germany. Since that time, another attempt was made in Gaza in which more than 3,000 kites were flown; however, that event has not been certified as an official record.
The event is being organized as a fund-raiser for Enid’s Ha-bitat for Humanity and also to bring attention to Enid and northwest Oklahoma as a player in developing wind energy.
Enid Habitat for Humanity board member Stanley Hicks said more than 100 people attended the training session and about 50 volunteers were on site to help construct official event kites for the Sept. 10 attempt.
“The main purpose of today was trying to get as many kites put together as possible and that’s just going beautifully,” Hicks said. “Everything has been going so well thanks in large part to news articles and publicity the Enid News & Eagle has done. It’s very good to live in a town where the newspaper takes part in an event like this.”
The field behind the James W. Strate Business Development Center on the Autry Technology Center campus had been marked for a grid to be used in the record-breaking attempt. Each grid has four squares, measuring 60 feet by 60 feet. There will be 25 kite fliers per grid, with each one given a 12-foot by 12-foot space.
Helping to fill those squares will be school children from across the county. Hicks said Chisholm, Enid, Pioneer and Fairview schools have committed to attend the event, as has Oklahoma Bible Academy.
“All of the other schools are welcome to get in touch with me if I don’t get in touch with them first,” he said.
All students bused to the event from the school will receive a free event kite and will not pay anything to take part in the event.
“Every student who is officially bused to the event by their school gets a free kite,” Hicks said. “They get a free kite to fly and then keep as a souvenir.”
On Monday, event kites and T-shirts will go on sale at the T-Shirt Store, 222 W. Randolph.
The event, which will be held on Thursday, will coincide with a wind energy forum being attended by energy companies from across the region.
Hicks said Enid/Garfield County Develop-ment Alliance Executive Director Brent Kisling said “I believe this event has already been a success and we haven’t even put a kite in the air yet,” and he wants to “echo” that statement.
“Brent Kisling has been an enormous part of our success,” Hicks said. “We will be bringing wind energy business to Enid. I am convinced.”
Lisa Powell, business manager for Enid/Garfield County Development Alli-ance said interest in the event from energy companies has continued to grow since the record-breaking attempt was announced.
“In fact, we are still getting calls form companies from outside Oklahoma, wind energy companies who want to participate and be sponsors,” she said. “It’s just getting started.”
There are five levels of sponsorship: Title, which includes donations of $10,000 or more, Platinum, $5,000, Gold, $2,500, Sil-ver, $1,000 and Bronze, $500.
Hicks said he wanted to especially thank Richard and Marti Dermer, of Stillwater, as well as Catherine Gabrel of Kites in the Sky.
Anyone can participate in the event. People can bring their owns kites or purchase an event kite for $5. Those participating in the event are asked to arrive no later than 11 a.m. for registration and place assignment and the attempt will begin at 1 p.m.
Sponsorships and event volunteers are still needed and are being accepted. For information, go to the Web site at www.kitesov erenid.com or call 233-4232.
“We need anyone who can fly a kite,” Hicks said. “I want to see an army of kite fliers.”