Dragon Boat Festival
Inaugural event draws 49 teams raising funds for Hollings Center
For more than five years, cancer survivors who participated in Dragon Boat Charleston knew the potential for a festival featuring their ancient Chinese paddling sport. Having been to other festivals in waterfront cities, they knew Lowcountry residents — who live among dozens of rivers, creeks and inlets — would embrace it.
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On Monday, teams made up of employees from InterTech Group, Keller Williams Realty and South Carolina Federal Credit Union practiced in the Ashley River for Saturday's Dragon Boat Festival.
But they didn't jump the gun, either.
"We kept waiting, watching and learning," says Sterling Hannah, director of Dragon Boat Charleston. "Last February (2007), we said it's time to start planning."
Saturday's inaugural Charleston Dragon Boat Festival will feature a remarkable 49 teams, most of which are corporate teams paying an average of $800 to register in addition to having each team member raise at least $100 in donations. Money netted from the event will benefit the Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Penny Behling of the Knoxville, Tenn.-based Dynamic Events & Management, which is coordinating the race, says that level of first-year festival support is unheard of. To put it in perspective, the inaugural dragon boat festival in Chattanooga, Tenn., in 2007 drew 32 teams.
This year, it had 44.
If you go
WHAT: Charleston Dragon Boat Festival.
WHERE: Brittlebank Park and Bristol Marina, Charleston.
WHEN: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday.
COST: Free to spectators.
VENDORS: Chang Thai Foods, Zeus Grill and Barbara Jean's Restaurant.
MORE INFORMATION: racedragonboats.com.
Most of the support in Charleston, according to Hannah, was due to the cancer survivors on the dragon boat team urging their workplaces to create a corporate team. She points to Wachovia Bank, Evergreen Shipping and Roper Hospital, the latter of which has fielded three teams.
Few had a hard time finding volunteers for the effort. Benefitfocus.com and its health care Web site, icyou.com, decided to sponsor two teams because so many employees were interested in participating. In all, nearly 50 employees will be participating, according to Andrew Alberico, a software project manager and a team captain.
"I'm starting to hear a buzz about it," Alberico says of excitement building for the festival and its races. "But this is for fun."
In fact, the inaugural festival will be made up primarily of rookies — almost beginners. Most teams have practiced just a few times.
The team from Pitt Street Fitness, for example, had its first practice Monday.
"We're winging it," says gym co-owner Robert Short.
Dragon boat teams
Teams competing in the festival are:
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Brandy Crosby (seated, left) laughs at Debby Stullenbarger's (seated, right) comment, "I get motion sickness," as colleagues from South Carolina Federal Credit Union board their dragon boat before practice Monday.
Bank of America: Liquid Assets.
BenefitFocus/icyou.com: BenefitFocus Fire Breathers.
BenefitFocus/icyou.com: Dragon Focus.
C.E. Williams: Surf n' Turf.
Charleston Business Journal: Dragon Flyz.
Charleston Metro Sports Council.
Charleston Surge.
Charlotte Dragon Boat Association: Charlotte Fury.
Community Team: Dunk-n Dragons.
Community Team: Vikings.
Community Team: Macho Beach Noseriders.
Dragon Boat Atlanta: Steel Magnolias.
Dragon Boat Charleston: Team Paddle Like You Stole It.
Dragon Boat Charleston Team 2: Team Finish Strong.
East Cooper Regional Medical Center: Team Kanfu.
Evergreen America Corporation: Green Machine.
First Federal Bank: Dollars and No Scents.
First Federal Bank: Draggin' Butt.
Folly Beach Wahine Classic: Folly Beach Wahines.
Hollings Cancer Center Team 1: Blazing Paddles.
Hollings Cancer Center Team 2: The Hope That Floats.
Hollings Cancer Center: Huff the Magic Dragon.
Huger Law Firm: Holy Roller Novacaine.
Intertech Foundation: Tikkun Olam-JZ.
Keller Williams: Pat's Paddling Pals.
Maersk Line: Maerskateers.
MeadWestvaco: Chemical Warriors.
MUSC: Lowcountry Dragonhearts.
MUSC Finance & Administration: Dragon Assets.
MUSC Offices of the Assoc. Provost for Res.: MUSC ReSurge.
PHC Healthcare: PHC Paranhas.
Piggly Wiggly: Nauti Pigs.
Pitt Street Fitness: Paddle Monkeys.
Porter Gaud School: Grimball's Revenge.
Prudential Carolina: Doors to Oars.
PURE High Net Worth Insurance: PURE Power.
Roper St. Francis Healthcare: The Mission!
Roper St. Francis Cancer Center: RSFH Heart of the Dragon.
Roper St. Francis Cancer Center Team 2: CyberDragons.
Query, Sautter, Gliserman & Price, LLC: Wappoo Cutters.
S&ME: SME-farers.
South Carolina Federal Credit Union: Team Blue.
State Ports Authority: Wharf Rats.
The Bristol Marina: Totally Propless.
The Maritime Assoc. of S.C.
Twin Rivers Capital: TRC Ryujin's.
Uricchio, Howe & Krell: Crowd Pleaser.
U.S. Coast Guard.
Wachovia: WACH Ness Monster.
Reach David Quick at 937-5516 or dquick@postandcourier.com.
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