Home is where we plant our roots and fly our balloons.

When Hamid Vahdatipour came to Tahlequah to attend college in 1976, his intentions were to graduate and go on back home to Iraq.

But times being what they were in Iraq, he found Tahlequah an appealing place and it became his home.

Which means to him a place to give back because it has given so much to him.

“Tahlequah and Cherokee County have been good to me,” he said. “Once you start volunteering, it’s nice. It feels good to give back.”

According to Vahdatipour, volunteering is being part of the community.

He is a founding member of Balloonfest, Aug. 14-15, and after a sabbatical, returns this year to volunteer as president. He’s gone up in a balloon almost every year and enjoys it, “it’s so peaceful just hanging there, floating.”

He’s also served on the Chamber of Commerce board two terms as president.

“The Chamber works hard to make it easy for businesses to do business in Tahlequah and to bring business to Tahlequah,” he said. “Tahlequah depends on tourism so much. The Tourism Council is working on that. Kate [Kelly] and David [Moore] are a good team together.”

Since 1989, he’s been employed with Lake Region and has served as its CEO since 1992.

He and wife, Pam, have two children, and are blessed with their first grandchild, 2-month-old Abby Lynn Vahdatipour, daughter of Charles and Nikki. Their daughter Stefanie, a pharmacy student at the University of Oklahoma married Jonathan Stogsdill in May.

Pam taught music and fifth grade at Lost City, and has been accompanist for the Tahlequah High School and Middle School choirs for five or six years. Park Hill Baptist is their church home.

It doesn’t seem that long ago that he coached boys and girls soccer, when their kids were young. He also served on the Indian nations Soccer Board.

When they lived at Welling, he was a volunteer fire fighter with the Welling Fire Department and served on the Rural Water District Board.

Time is given to CASA as a board member.

“It’s an excellent program, it helps children. They need support,” he said. “You want to make sure it stays viable and can continue to help.”

As a founding member and president of the newly formed Tenkiller Utilities Authority, he’s working to provide potable water for rural water districts and anyone around Lake Tenkiller.

“We’re getting close to building a treatment plant and water conveyance system to the rural water districts,” he said. “A lot of districts don’t have water for new customers.”

His volunteering started when he got to Lake Region.

“In the position I have, I wanted to be sure Lake Region is well-represented in the community, and I myself get involved,” he said. “It’s nice. Once you get involved you feel good to give back to the community.”

Balloonfest started in 1993 out at the river, until traffic became a problem, “cars were lined up from the Illinois River bridge to City Hospital for the balloon glow,” he said.

Now held at the airport, Vahdatipour said the event has outlived others around the state.

“Pilots that come to us really enjoy it in Tahlequah and most of the time we actually have a waiting list of pilots who want to come down to see us,” he said, “Twenty to 25 pilots get their rooms, some meals and propane provided.”

The beauty of the area appeals to pilots, and the people.

“The float trips most enjoy doing and our landscape is really pretty,” he said.

“At tree-top level, the fog’s in the valley and they really enjoy it. And the friendliness of our people when they land on somebody’s property.”

A hobby of his is rock crawling,

“We take our Jeeps places where nobody thinks they could go. It’s stress relief for me to get to the bottom of a hill and steep climb, and the challenge to make it to the top.”

The club also goes to Little Sahara State Park in southern Oklahoma once a year to play on the dunes.

Rock crawling has become the afternoon entertainment at Balloonfest, the carnival plans to be on-site again this year, and the balloon glow will be Friday and Saturday night with fireworks finales.

“We have balloons flying in the morning and evening, so this gives us something for the afternoon,” he said. “Our club, Extreme 4-Wheeling, has done this for the past six years. They put on a show.”

The city supplies the dirt and machines and Vahdatipour designs the course, he said. And they’re also fortunate to have a Presenting Sponsor, the Keetoowah Casino. “We made admission free last year with $5 for parking,” he said. “This sponsorship allows us to continue with the event and with free admission. With the parking you can come in and out during the day.”

Last year, they barely made enough money to pay expenses and weren’t sure whether they would have another one.

“I’m part of the group that started it and we want to keep it going,” he said. “The pilots, their crews, family and friends are here spending money and going to the river. Add to that people who come to see the festival. It brings taxes to help the city and county.”

He said in August when everybody is praying for rain, the Balloonfest board is praying for no rain, sunshine or at least a cloudy weekend.

The Vahdatipours have visited the largest Balloonfest which is in Albuquerque.

“The well-known event is unique for ballooning because where most places you’re at the mercy of the air current,” he said, making a square shape in the air with his hand, “but with the mountain air current, it carries the balloon in a box shape, repeating the ride around.”

The Vahdatipours enjoy visiting his parents and sister and brother, who all live in southern California now, and Boston for the Fourth of July last year with their daughter, “those people take their Fourth of July seriously,” he said. “It’s the best time to be there, but, “I like to go and visit but I’m always glad to get home to peace and quiet.”