I got a catch-up email from my good friend, Lynn, the other day. She's a member of a dragon boat team made up of breast cancer survivors, located in the Capital Region of Upstate NY. She says she is loving being a part of the group. Here's what she says about the Dragon Boat team and why they do it: " We paddle because we can. We paddle for those who cannot."
"I personally paddle for a handful of friends who have had breast cancer. Albette. Amy. Linda. Liz. Meredith. I paddle my hardest for Pat Emmet. I don't know how I would have gotten through my cancer without her (and many of you!!). Pat ironically received her own bc diagnosis when I was just finishing my treatment, and, after a recurrence, she died in May, 2007. Knowing Pat was pure joy. She would have loved to race in a dragon boat!!
In Princeton, at the Paddle for Pink Festival, we came in 2nd out of 6 breast cancer teams, and up at the Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival in August, during two days of pouring rain, we finished 9th of 13 teams of breast cancer survivors. This is pretty amazing considering many of our team members had never even been in a boat before the day of the first race! Without a boat to practice in, we've become known as the "the team that paddles around a picnic table" (which is exactly what we have been doing, trying to at least syncronize our strokes)."
They've rented a boat for the two races they've been in.
"Legend holds that dragon boat racing got its start more than 2,000 years ago in southern China, where 
boats festooned with dragon heads were used in rituals to encourage bountiful harvests. Dragon boat racing is now the fastest growing sport in the world." - Hope in the Boat web site.The sport is hot in several areas of North America, including here in Portland, and also Florida, DC area, Canada to name a few.
Why Dragon Boating and cancer survivors?
In 1995, Dr. Don McKenzie, a sports medicine physician in Canada, pioneered the research that led to encouraging women with breast cancer to challenge themselves physically. He conducted a research study that overturned the prevailing medical view that women with breast cancer should restrict upper body exercise to prevent lymphedema. He did this study using the ancient sport of dragon boating and concluded that women with breast cancer can undertake upper body exercise, encouraging living full and active lives. Today, breast cancer survivors dragon boat teams flourish across the United States, Canada, and internationally."- Hope in the Boat web site.
Lynn and the team want to buy their own boat. A 40 foot long boat, related equipment, and a home and training site for the team will be $20,000. Just think if each of us sent $5.00 or 10.00 -Yes, this is a pitch! - they'd have their boat in no time! And could move right on to raising funds for their goal of raising awareness about the quality of life that is available. That you can survive breast cancer and have a full and healthy, active and whole life during and after detection!
I know, there are a gazillion causes and we support many of them. Breast cancer awareness, early detection and survival is a big one for me. My mom died of complications from breast cancer in 1972. She was younger than I am now. Today she might have survived.
If you do want to support this team from 6 counties in upstate NY, here's how to do it. Write a check to Hope In The Boat. In the memo section put the name Lynn F (via Alex). Mail it to Hope in the Boat, 47 Dove Street, Albany NY 12210.
They hope to have a boat in the water by spring.
If Lynn can raise enough, she'll be able to have a 3 line plaque on the side of the boat. Knowing Lynn - she'll dedicate it to the people she paddles for.
Lynn kayacking, 2006.
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