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A dragon boat is ready to launch at the fundraising festival. -
Boarding a dragon boat can be tricky and is easier from the shore, in some ways. -
Breast Friends, a Pendleton County dragon boat group, continued its trend of major fundraising, and this year, the crew won the medal for its division.
Dragon Boats, paddlers, steerers, drummers, digging, smooth rhythms. What does all of it mean, and how does it benefit breast cancer?
According to Brenda Mahoney, the Paddling for the Pink Dragon Boat races began in Campbell County in 2009. With the work of Jim Thaxton and Three Rivers, they soon became a 501c3 and were then a yearly fundraising event for breast cancer survivors.
Before Covid hit there were 44 teams of paddlers. Twenty teams participated in Saturday’s event. There were three to four boats per heat and several heats narrowing the results down to the first place winning team. Each team has worked throughout the year, having fundraisers to raise money for breast cancer survivors. Every penny raised goes to the women and they use it for whatever they need. It could be for a bill, groceries, school clothes for their child(ren). They decide.
A few of the places some of the teams come from to participate in this one-day event are Louisville, Georgia, Indianapolis, Ohio, and Alexandria. The teams set up tents and decorate them with different themes.
Of the teams participating Saturday, Pendleton County’s Breast Friends team won first place in the Triple Crown Division. They also won the paddle for the Best Decorated Tent as well as Top Team for Donations, winning the donation category for the fifth year in a row. Crystal Simpson created the team in 2014. Each year, the team sends out 150 letters of request for donations; they have had car shows, dance classes, and restaurant percentage days at El Paso in Falmouth and Snappy Pizza in Brooksville. In 2020, they raised $3,550; in 2021, $6,200, and this year, $8,500 for a total of $18,250 in just three years. This is just what one team does. While the other teams may not raise as much, they still raise significant amounts to benefit the cause.
Silent auctions and raffle baskets bring in more funds to help those struggling with cancer. Team member and festival committee member Phyllis Kelsch shared that these fundraisers brought in $5,306 this year.
The event happens on a September Saturday each year at A.J. Jolly Park. Watch for the event to happen in 2023, and maybe get your own dragon boat team together to help raise some money for a great cause.