8th Annual Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival set for August 4, team registration open

Submitted by tim on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 23:59

Team registration is open for the 8th Annual Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Races Sunday, August 4th at Burlington's Waterfront Park. Festival organizers encourage everyone to join together with your co-workers, friends, and family and form a team. Each of the 56 teams is comprised of 21 paddlers who race head to head in 41 foot long dragon boats over a 200 meter course. No paddling experience is required and every team gets a free one hour practice session in July. It’s all for fun, friendly competition, and to raise money for Dragonheart Vermont and the Survivorship NOW, cancer wellness program.
For complete information and online registration, visit www.ridethedragon.org . There are a few slots open so organize your team right away. It’s a perfect team building event for businesses and groups who want to paddle together for charity and bring home medals and trophies.
The festival has become one of Vermont’s most popular summer events with over 20,000 paddlers and spectators annually. Admission to the festival is free. There’s music, entertainment, food vendors, a silent auction, raffles and more. The core of Dragonheart Vermont's mission is to give back to the community and over the last 7 years the Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival has raised over $655,000 to support critical cancer programs in Vermont
This year, festival proceeds will support Survivorship NOW, the Network on Wellness, helps to bridge the gap cancer survivors face between treatment and recovery. Survivorship NOW promotes free opportunities for therapeutic programs, exercise classes, education, and networking to help cancer survivors be healthier and live well after their cancer diagnosis. These empowering classes have the strong endorsement of cancer survivors, doctors, and health care institutions in our area. Visit www.survivorshipnowvt.org. for complete program information.
Linda Dyer, Dragonheart Vermont, Executive Director:
‘Our Dragonheart organization is excited about putting our efforts toward helping to promote more opportunities for wellness for cancer survivors in our community. As a breast cancer survivor and supporter organization, we have seen firsthand how valuable fitness, camaraderie, and connection can be. Our hope is that all cancer survivors in our community will have the chance to get the programs needed to live each day to the fullest.’
‘Eight years ago I watched the Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival from the shore...I have been in a boat ever since! All year I look forward to this one day of fun, camaraderie, love, competition, and yes, sweat! The spirit and excitement are infectious. The cause is sobering. And many of the Dragonheart team members are now my personal heroes. Where else can you find all that?’
Paddles Up!
Phyllis Bartling
Captain, Baystate Support Oars
‘What an unexpected privilege to be able to paddle a Dragonboat on Lake Champlain every August. It’s an awe inspiring day, all the community teams and the flower festival; it really brings people together in a really positive way. With everyone raising money for such a great cause and having a blast at the same time, it’s a perfect summer’s day.’
Lynn Bryan
Captain, Dragon Techs
‘Jazzin Dragons has been in the festival since it began. Each year we have a really good time forming our team, getting ready for competition, and paddling on the day of the races, and of course a great day to honor and remember the survivors in and out of our boat, as well as those who have passed from our lives. Our Jazzercise group also performs for the crowd in Athletes Village which is always a lot of fun for the crowd. It is all for a good cause and good, clean (wet) fun!’
Pam Fontaine
Jazzin Dragona