By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

AN international kite exhibition will be held Feb. 16-18 at the Asan Memorial Beach Park to raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Guam.
Organized jointly with insurance company TakeCare and the National Park Service, the foundation hopes to raise funds to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Kites from more than 11 countries will be participating in the exhibition, which will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
This annual fundraiser for the organization has grown in just three short years. This year’s event will be featuring kite exhibitions and showcasing kite-making traditions from the participating countries which include the United States, Canada, Germany, Japan, Korea, Australia, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas.
Guam alone will have over 50 kite flyers participating.
Ray Bethell, the hearing-impaired multiple kite flying world champion, will demonstrate his skills by single-handedly flying four kites at one time to choreographed music.
American Kite Association representatives Dave and Susan Gomberg, along with Team Australia and Team Germany, will also fill the skies at Asan with giant kites ranging from the giant squid and teddy bear to a giant clownfish.
The Japan Kite Association, for its part, will feature traditional Asian kites, as will the Korean Kite Association.
All in all, giant kites, kite trains, kite arches, sports kites, stunt kites, and traction kites are expected to color the Asan skies in this family-fun filled event.
Dubbed “Kites for Wishes III,” the event is presented by the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Guam and sponsored by Continental Airlines, Bank of Guam, Nissan, Guam Visitors Bureau, and the Outrigger Resort Guam.
Kites for Wishes III is chaired by Lou Lucena, former board member of the foundation and co-chaired by Lorraine Okada, immediate past president of the foundation.