Children enjoyed Saturday's annual Kite Day in the community of Baileyton. (W.C. Mann for The Tribune)
BAILEYTON – Folks around the Baileyton area took advantage of the breezy weather on Saturday to “go fly a kite.” In what has become a local tradition in the area, the celebration of wind and airfoil has been hosted by Peggie Knop and other volunteers from Welcome Baptist Church in the large field beside Knop’s house on County Road 1564 for more than 20 years. Kites were provided to all kids free of charge, and volunteers and donors served a pot luck dinner on the grounds.
Knop told The Tribune, “We started when I was Mission Friends director. Me and Mission Friends was going to have a kite-flying day, and all the kids wanted to know if they could come. Of course, you can’t tell a child they can’t come. So it went from just about eight or 10 to about–sometimes we’ve had a hundred people. Last year we had, I think it was 114.”
According to Knop, who has taught Sunday school and led children's groups at Welcome Baptist Church for more than 50 years, the event is open to the whole community and provides an opportunity for residents of the area to get to know the members of the congregation.
“I enjoy it," said Knop. "I keep telling them I don’t know how much longer I can do it. (At this point, Ms. Knop told us her age, and we’ll leave it to her tell you if she wants to!) You know, I’m getting old enough, it’s time for me to retire and let somebody young do it. But anyway, that’s just something you do.
“I’ve enjoyed it. I said last year that would probably be my last year; I keep saying that, but I always do it another year.”
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