Kites will fly to send messages to loved ones

By Naïma Hill

In May 2023, my 22-month-old sunshine, Aveline “Avy” and our family dog Kemosabe were killed in a car crash that my 4-year-old son and I survived. We were left breathing, but with a cellular level of heartbreak. Everything I believed about the world collapsed.

Since then, I’ve been searching spiritually, culturally and globally for ways people hold death, honor love and keep going. I made a vow to myself after that day: I would never again pour my energy into anything that isn’t good in this world. From that promise, and sticker art I started to draw a few months after her death, a movement began, and a nonprofit was born. It’s mission is to spread sunshine from our little corner of Dallas to wherever love and loss exist and work to build a much-needed community playground in our neighborhood! 

Last summer, we held our first Avy’s Sunshine Kite Festival, inspired by the Sumpango Kite Festival in Guatemala, where giant 60-foot kites are flown to send messages to lost loved ones. Our version, held at Old City Park in Dallas, carries the same heart, just on a smaller, community scale. And now we’re preparing for the second annual event!

The second annual Avy’s Sunshine Kite Festival will take place on Saturday, June 21, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. It’s completely free to attend and there is free parking, too. We provide kites for people to decorate and fly in memory of their loved ones. The event is a reminder that grief and joy can coexist. 

Expect face painting (pictured), a DJ playing music, water fun, community partners, vendors, delicious food, a silent auction and space to breathe, cry, laugh and remember your lost loved ones. Last year, the stories shared moved us to tears and gave us strength. We can’t wait to hear yours.

The festival also shines a light on our bigger mission: building a much-needed inclusive playground in the Cedars. This neighborhood doesn’t have one single public playground! After Avy’s death, creating this space became our way of honoring her and helping other children and families thrive in sunshine.

In a city focused on increasing parks and equity, we hope our grassroots efforts are met with more city support. We’re a small 501(c)(3) working hard by applying for grants, fundraising, teaming up with nonprofits and small businesses, and saying yes to anyone who wants to help make this dream real.

So, Mark your calendars: June 21 at Old City Park. Come decorate a kite, dance a little, cry a little and help us keep fighting forward for a playground and to live. 

And if you can’t be there in person, you can still take part from anywhere. For a $10 donation, we’ll fly a kite on your behalf with your loved one’s name or message. For those that can’t make it in person we share photos and videos online so you can be part of the messages to the sky, no matter where you are.

To learn more about the upcoming kite festival and how you can get involved, visit AvysSunshineTribe.com or follow us on social media @AvysSunshineTribe.

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