People in Pictou County consistently care. It’s evident at the annual Race on the River.
“We are so very fortunate to live in a community that supports this event and our beneficiaries, year after year,” said Race on the River Marketing Director Meghan Brophy. “Without our volunteers, sponsors, participants and spectators an event like this would not be possible.”
Over 35 teams will be in action July 21 for the Race on the River Dragon Boat Festival.
This year marks the 17th Anniversary of the event with more than $1.9 million raised in support of three beneficiaries: Women Alike Breast Cancer Survivor's Society; Special Olympics Northern Region; and Pictou County Prostate Cancer Support Association.
Opening ceremonies begin Friday, July 20 at 6:45 p.m. with Honorary Chair Jeff MacLean, president of Michelin North America (Canada) Inc. Teams will be introduced and marched in following an interpretive dragon dance, and the ringing of the gong to commence the beginning of another festival.
Presenting sponsor Sobeys will have their local store managers on site hosting a donation barbecue with all money raised going to beneficiaries.
On stage, entertainment by The Unknownz will follow.
The races begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, with 42 scheduled for the day.
Many organizations find it a great team-building activity for their staff and with various divisions it’s something any group can take part in, Brophy said.
The Pink Carnation ceremony is scheduled for 3:40 p.m. This portion of the event is to honour those who have passed away from breast cancer and those who are still fighting. During the ceremony pink or fuchsia flowers are tossed into the East River.
Aside from watching races, the family friendly festival offers children’s activities by Sobeys and the Women Alike, on-stage Zumba and musical entertainment, as well as food served up by food trucks and vendors.
“We encourage everyone to come down to the river and watch a race,” said Brophy. “We have eight different divisions of races with over 35 teams of 17 participants taking part. The energy and community spirit is evident all day long.”
What is a Dragon Boat?
A typical Hong Kong-style dragon boat is almost 12 metres (39 ft.) long, 1 metre (3 ft.) wide and weighs about 1,500 lbs. It consists of the main body of the boat, with a dragon head at the front and a long tail out the back.
Constructed of wood, it holds 22 people for each race: 20 paddlers; a drummer, who keeps the beat of the stroke,: and a steer-person who keeps the boat straight. An equal number of people paddle on each side of the boat.
Due to their size and design, dragon boats are very stable and therefore very suitable for beginners. Races take place on a straight course, with each boat in a lane that’s nine metres wide. Race distances vary, depending on the event, from 200 to 640 metres. "Race on the River" is 250 metres.
SOURCE: RACEONTHERIVER.COM
