Recently, our club had an application for a grant of $1,000 approved by the Stockland Care Grants program. As we had recently acquired a new boat for the club, we requested safety equipment i.e. lights, drink bottle holders, boat cover and also repairs to our tent which is used by paddlers and supporters who attend regattas . Thanks to this grant we were able to fulfil all these requests and we are most grateful to Stockland for giving us the opportunity to acquire these items.
Stockland Care Grants enables not for profit clubs like Dragons Abreast Gold Coast to achieve their goals of reaching out to our community and spreading the message of breast cancer awareness and to provide support for survivors and supporters through the sport of dragon boating which is known to be beneficial after treatment of cancer. Thank you Stockland.
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Friday 18th October was our inaugural Trivia Night to fundraise and bring awareness of breast cancer to our local community. October is breast cancer awareness month and is an opportunity for us all to focus on breast cancer and its impact on those affected by the disease in our community. Led by our intrepid social coordinator Josie – who spent many hours in preparation for the event and canvassing our local business community for raffle donations, the night was a an outstanding success, with Currumbin RSL filled to capacity with 220 guests. Well done to Josie and each and every club member who contributed to the success of the night. Hopefully this will be the first of many.
In June, 10 ladies from the Dragons Abreast Gold Coast team travelled to Western Australia to participate in a 55 km marathon paddle down the iconic Ord River. The marathon is an event, which has continued to grow in popularity and is run annually by the Kununurra Dragon Boat Club. This year it was reserved for breast cancer survivors and their supporters. The marathon is unique because it offers the challenge of the longest paddle available to paddlers in Australia and for breast cancer survivors it offered the opportunity to proclaim the health benefits of dragon boat paddling. Survivors and their supporters came from all parts of Australia to fill 8 boats with 14 paddlers and a steer person ready for the start at Lake Argyle at 7: 30 a.m. . The paddlers reported that the river was fast flowing at first, but despite the heavy drag they experienced as they continued towards Kununurra all boats crossed the finish line by 4:30 p.m. There were 3 stops along the way, which allowed the paddlers to stretch their cramped limbs and refuel their bodies. All the participants agreed that the magnificent scenery of gorges and the stunning wildlife that included freshwater crocs inspired their determination to finish the course. The day was completed with a dinner shared by all the paddlers allowing them to celebrate and commemorate a very special event while bringing awareness of breast cancer to the fore. A huge congratulations to our team of champions who won the grand final of the mixed 200 mts. at Currumbin Corporate Regatta. This was achieved with only 4 men in the boat. A very exciting finish to the final, and the team powered home to achieve this result. A great day had by all and a huge thank you to the Currumbin Dragons for hosting the event.
Our inaugural Tassie trip at the end of March was as good and probably even better than anyone anticipated. Thanks to the organisation and hard work of Lozza and the Tassie girls, our club flew to Hobart for a very eventful, fun filled few days enjoying the company of our sister club in Hobart. Special thanks to our hosts Chris and Lois, where we gathered on Thursday night for a spectacular night of food and drink and a little bit of music provided by Chris to welcome us to Hobart. Friday included some sightseeing before we were welcomed by the Hobart girls to a dinner at their club. Also a special night where we learnt to put our boatbuilding skills to the test. I think we should stick to paddling. Saturday saw us up bright and early on the water for a training session. To travel up and down the Derwent was another highlight, viewing so many of the historical features of Hobart. The rest of the day was spent browsing (and some buying) at the Salamanca Markets and having a look around this great city. Sunday we travelled to the Huon River for our long paddle. The weather was a bit on the chilly side, but we all rugged up and ventured down this magnificent river with wonderful scenery. The half way point provided us with a chance to rest up, and enjoy a warm cuppa and delicious morning tea provided by the Tassie girls, before our return trip for lunch. I’m sure this memory will stay with all of us for a long time. Heartfelt thanks to our sister club, and we hope to return the favour and show you the hospitality of the Gold Coast on your visit up here. Photographed above are some of our hardworking committee members of both clubs, and the DAGC members |
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