CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — The Dixie Power Kite Festival was pleased to present a $50,000 check to the Washington County School District Foundation for their literacy program at the Washington County School District board meeting last Tuesday. LaDel Laub, CEO of Dixie Power, and Rick Schofield, director of the Dixie Power Kite Festival, presented the check to the board.
Each year, Dixie Power employees donate hundreds of man-hours to make the Dixie Power Kite Festival a success.
“It’s a lot of work,” said Andy Lytle, line operations department head for Dixie Power.
Despite the extra effort, Dixie Power feels like it’s worth the opportunity to give back to the community. In addition to the hundreds of donated man-hours, Dixie Power also donates $15,000 directly to the kite festival each year.
“Without Dixie Power and all of their employees, the kite festival simply wouldn’t be possible,” Schofield said.
Steven Young, communications specialist for Dixie Power, said they also rely heavily on community partners for in-kind and cash donations.
“Without them, we would never be able to donate as much as we have.”
The kite festival receives sponsorship donations from $500 to $10,000, and all businesses are welcome to apply to be sponsors.
Donating $50,000 is only one part of the kite festival’s four-part mission, which includes the following:
- Provide a wholesome, uplifting, family-oriented event where everyone can participate regardless of experience, training, financial means or physical abilities.
- Promote reading as a fundamental basis of education for every child of elementary school age.
- Support education with additional funding and make that funding available to selected participating schools at the discretion of the Washington County School Foundation.
- Patronize those members of the business community whose financial sponsorship makes the kite festival possible.
As the mission statement points out, “providing a wholesome, uplifting, family-oriented event” was one of the highest priorities this year. With COVID-19 canceling the 2020 festival, pulling off the 2021 festival and returning to normal was a huge goal this year. Though the festival had to follow state-mandated guidelines to hold the event, the community showed up and made it one of the biggest and best festivals to date.
Over 2,800 reading charts were redeemed for either a kite, a book or $10 worth of tickets for the bounce houses. With an average of 1,000 minutes of reading required for each reading chart, the festival promoted over 2.8 million minutes of reading by children in grades K-5 in Washington County.
There’s nothing like the kite festival when it comes to family events and giving back to the community. It has taken 22 years to get it to the point it is at today, and Dixie Power is excited to continue to bring this event to Southern Utah.
Dixie Power has scheduled the next kite festival for April 2, 2022, and they’re looking for community partners to sponsor the event. Visit the festival website to become a sponsor, a vendor or even donate on a smaller scale.
Thank you to the sponsors of the 2021 Dixie Power Kite Festival. To view the full list of sponsors, click here.
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