Snow doesn’t ground giant kite event at Lake Antoine
Saturday's snowfall made for less than ideal viewing conditions for the Kites Over Awesome Lake Antoine, or KOALA, event. But banners and fish windsocks along the shoreline still made for a colorful display. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News)
A giant salamander kite soars amid the snowflakes at the fifth-annual Kites Over Awesome Lake Antoine event Saturday. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News)
McKayla Gregg, 5, of Iron Mountain, and Brady Nichols, 4, of Homestead, Wis., play Jenga, one of the games and other activities in the kids area at the Kites Over Awesome Lake Antoine event Saturday. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News)
Saturday's snowfall made for less than ideal viewing conditions for the Kites Over Awesome Lake Antoine, or KOALA, event. But banners and fish windsocks along the shoreline still made for a colorful display. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News)
A giant salamander kite soars amid the snowflakes at the fifth-annual Kites Over Awesome Lake Antoine event Saturday. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News)
McKayla Gregg, 5, of Iron Mountain, and Brady Nichols, 4, of Homestead, Wis., play Jenga, one of the games and other activities in the kids area at the Kites Over Awesome Lake Antoine event Saturday. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News)
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IRON MOUNTAIN -- Mother Nature may not have fully cooperated, but the snowy conditions didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of those who attended the Kites Over Awesome Lake Antoine, or KOALA, event Saturday.
The fifth-annual event is a fundraiser for the Lake Antoine Park Partners.
“It’s amazing. We have so much support from our community. We love it,” LAPP member and organizer Barb Kramer said.
Several of the giant kites operated by the Wisconsin Kiters club were able to fight the snowflakes and make it into the air. Last year’s event had a beautiful warm day with sunny skies, but no wind.
Wisconsin Kiters also has members from near Minneapolis and northern Illinois.
“They’re a large group, but they’re very diverse,” Kramer said. She noted that they are also disappointed if they can’t get the kites in the air.
“They love to fly and we help them by providing rooms and meals. Their effort is well intentioned and they are often very disappointed if they can’t fly,” Kramer said.
“We added some children’s activities this year so there are more activities for the kids,” she said.
The games included Jenga, bubbles, snowball target toss, Frisbee toss, giant Tic Tac Toe, a community mural, photo booth and snow painting.
Money raised from the event will go toward the Everybody Plays accessible playground project. LAPP member Ann Hruska noted that many of the children at the event were enjoying the new playground equipment.
In addition to the kites, there were raffle drawings for a mountain bike, a Queen City Running Co. gift certificate and other prizes. There was also LAPP and KOALA merchandise for sale.
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Marguerite Lanthier can be reached at 906-774-3500, ext. 85242, or mlanthier@ironmountaindailynews.com.