Media
Paddle For Life
2502 NE 163rd Street
Ridgefield, WA 98642
501(c)3 Corporation, EIN 26-4023427
For Immediate Release
Friday June 1, 2020 Foster City, California
Dragon Boating returns to Foster City
The fourth annual Paddle for Life Dragon Boat Festival is scheduled for August 21st in Foster City. Paddlers from corporate and community teams will battle it out at Ryan J. Leo Park during an all day festival that includes racing, entertainment and food. 2010 marks the return of the event to Foster City where it originated. Paddle for Life benefits the American Cancer Society, Northern California Chinese Unit. All of the money donated by the event stays in the Bay Area to help local residents who are fighting cancer. Event Director, Jeff Campbell of Double Fifth Dragon Boating reports that the event is filling up fast. “All you need are 10 to 12 people who want to have a great day of fun and at the same time support a great cause.”
“The dragon boat races are a great way for any community to raise money for charity.” says Campbell Each team pays an entry fee and each individual paddler is tasked with raising additional donations. Last year the team from Xilinx collected the most donations and will be rewarded this year with the “Ultimate Team Tent”. The Xilinx team will enjoy catered food, massages and a luxurious 400 square foot tent to spread out. Additionally, individuals who raise money can win prizes. “Last year we had one woman who raised over $1,000” says Campbell “she took home an Apple iTouch worth over $300.”
Paddle for Life Board member, and Foster City resident, Alvin Wang started the races in 2007 and immediately turned to smaller, local cancer groups when he needed beneficiaries and found a great match. Not only do they appreciate a local race run on their behalf, they also like the fact that they can participate in the event. Last year the event sold out and this year registration is filling up fast. Anyone interested can form a team; just contact Double Fifth Dragon Boating for more information. “Anyone can participate; you don’t have to be an athlete.” Explains Campbell “We supply everything the team needs from equipment to instruction, you just add paddlers.”
Paddle for Life is unique amongst the dragon boat races because it features smaller, ten paddler “baby” dragon boats. Traditional dragon boats require team sizes of 22 to 24 and this makes it difficult for some smaller groups and companies to participate. Campbell continues, “Ten seems to be the magic number. A captain can find 9 or 10 people to fill a boat.” These boats were imported from China specifically for this event.
Dragon boat racing originated in China over 2,300 years ago and is one of the oldest team sports. The popularity of the sport in Asia makes it the one of the largest sports in the world with over 50 million participants annually. In addition to the Oakland race, the San Francisco Bay Area hosts one of the premier races in the USA annually each fall, the San Francisco Invitational Dragon Boat Races and several smaller regattas throughout the area making it one of the largest hotspots for dragon boating in the USA.
Paddle For Life is a non-profit corporation based in Washington State. Its mission is to promote the amateur sport of dragon boat racing and develop dragon boat athletes as well as provide an avenue for dragon boat athletes to participate in an amateur environment. Paddle For Life donates funds raised at every dragon boat race to local charities to ensure local paddlers are helping the people in their own community.
Double Fifth Dragon Boating is the premier nationwide provider of dragon boats and equipment, plus one of the largest providers of full-range services including race management. Jeff Campbell, Double Fifth owner, has 15 years of experience at all levels of the sport including paddling at national and world championships. He is a certified international race official and advises both national and international governing bodies on dragon boating matters.
Disclaimer: The charities benefitting from this event are not involved with the production of, or in any way responsible for, this event.
Contact:
Sara Rodin
sara@doublefifth.com
971-222-3679
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