A fondly remembered player in the Topeka arts community, Micah Rolfs, who passed away January 23, 2010, is the namesake for an uplifting ReThink Topeka event, “Micah’s Kite Flight,” which is open for all Topekans to join, 4 – 7 p.m., June 26, at MacLennan Park, near the Governor’s residence, in Topeka.

The event will bring Topekans together for what is anticipated to be a large gathering of kite-fliers, hikers and families in a symphony of recreation and appreciation for the nature areas that Topeka has to offer.

Justin and Bailey Marable, founders of ReThink Topeka, a grassroots organization that seeks to draw attention to the positive aspects of Topeka, have high hopes for the event, and have planned for it to be a draw for Topeka families in particular.

“We wanted ReThink to put on a really family-friendly event,” says Bailey. “There will be a lot of things people can do with their families. There will be hiking along the trails, Frisbee playing, kite decorating and just a general enjoyment of the outdoors and the nature that Topeka has to offer.”

Kites may be brought by participants, but will also be available at the event, with blank kites for children to decorate. ReThink Topeka Frisbees will be available, along with the opportunity to play on a portable Frisbee golf course on site. Frisbees are currently available for purchase at Blackbird Café and Bistro. Participants are encouraged to pack a picnic if they wish and water will be available on site.

In the event of a non-windy day, “Micah’s Kite Flight” will become “Micah’s Day Hike” where attendees will be encouraged to hike the trails at MacLennan Park, a 244-acre park near the Governor’s residence grounds. Parking for the event will be in the south and west parking lots of MacLennan Park as well as in the nearby neighborhoods.

The namesake for the event, Micah Rolfs, was involved in ReThink Topeka as well as many other organizations in the community, and especially worked toward the use and acceptance of green practices. But his life was all about seizing the moment and enjoying things to the fullest, said his mother, LaVetta Rolfs.

“Everything for Micah was win-win, not ‘I win, you lose,’” she says.

She tells a story of how Micah played soccer as a very young child, and he was very coordinated and very athletic; he was good at it. When his coaches started to yell at him, expecting better plays or performance from him, LaVetta says, “He would say, ‘I’m not going to play unless it’s just for fun.’ And that’s the essence of the event, it’s fun, and that’s why the kite flight is win-win. It’s just to have fun and create community.”

Justin Marable thinks that the event will be visually stunning and symbolic of the spirit of Topeka as a whole.

“It will be visually exciting to see hundreds of people out in this open space,” says Justin. “It will be symbolic of the citizens rising above our normal everyday lives and acknowledging the beauty in our city and our belonging to a community.”

[ June 2010 | Leah Sewell | illustration by Shanon Fouquet ]
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