Paddling for Life Society dragon boat team participated in the 10th annual Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival earlier this month. The event’s purpose is to create awareness and raise money for the fight against breast cancer. It is Nanaimo’s most popular event, attracting over 30,000 people and more than 60 dragon boats.
Lorna Clark, a member of the Paddling for Life team, said the society enjoys taking part in the Nanaimo event because of the acknowledgement of the disease. “We participate in that event because they do a lot for breast cancer,” she said. There are two ceremonies including a dinner at the beginning of the three-day event and photographs of survivor teams after the races. “They get us in circles and start with one-year survivors and work up. There were people there in their 80s that were 30- and 40-year survivors. It is quite emotional.” Survivors are given candles which are lit in remembrance of those who did not survive their fight with breast cancer.
The team of 22, which is made up of breast cancer survivors and supporters in the Powell River area, was very successful and won silver in the women’s silver division, missing gold by only five seconds.
“The course is 500 metres and they are very close races, sometimes down to one stroke,” said Clark.
The paddlers then joined with Campbell River’s team to win first in the B division final.
Some of the Powell River paddlers have participated in each of the 10 Nanaimo festivals. Over the years they have raised more than $500,000 for Nanaimo Hospital Foundation for imaging equipment to assist with early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital. “The first time, when they went, they went to watch and ended up racing and pretty well got hooked,” said Clark.
Anybody who is a breast cancer survivor or supporter and wishes to find out more about the dragon boat team, can contact Barb Lloyd at 604.485.7333.
