Erlanger Village during last year’s Dragon Boat Festival
Registration is still open for the 11th Annual Children’s Hospital at Erlanger Dragon Boat Festival on Saturday, May 6, at the TVA Park at Chickamauga Dam.
Dating back more than 2,300 years, Dragon Boat racing features teams of 20 paddlers, a drummer and a coxswain in 46-foot long Chinese dragon boats, racing through the water to the finish line. Paddlers ages 15 and older at any skill and fitness levels can participate, making it a good team building sport.
Corporate and community teams are encouraged to register their boat and a fundraising page by going to http://paddleforchildrenshospital.org. Boating registration is currently $1,000 for regular team entry. The team fundraising entry is $100 for teams who are going the extra mile to raise $3,000. Individual paddlers are welcome to register to join a crew.
A few teams who have registered and are meeting or exceeding their fundraising goals are the CBL Motley Crew, BCBST Liquid Awesome Blue and The Personality Paddlers First Volunteer Bank.
New this year are an expanded concessions area, a children’s play area and a variety of new trophies and honors for the event including Most Creative Team Name.
The last day to register a team is April 20 and the first captains’ meeting is April 26. To learn more about the festival, please call or email Rebecca Styles at 778-4803 or Rebecca.styles@erlanger.org or visit www.paddleforchildrenshospital.org.
A Dragon Boat team is ready to race at last year’s Dragon Boat Festival