Urgent Need for BCS Paddlers

If you know any breast cancer survivors who would like to paddle in DC this weekend, please (please please!) encourage them to contact David Winters ASAP. In order to run a BCS division at this year's DC Dragonboat Festival, the DC festival coordinators need to fill up another boat.

Some of the Paddlefish have paddled with Hope Afloat BCS teams here and in DC, and everyone who's had that experience has described it as one of the best paddling experiences ever!

From Jeff Campbell Tue May 16 08:48:02 2006
Date: Tue, 16 May 2006 15:48:02 -0000
Subject: BCS Paddlers and Crews Needed in DC

Below is a note from David Winters. The festival in Washington, DC is
this weekend and they need more breast cancer survivor paddlers and
teams. I have to agree with David, the entry fee (free) is very low.
If you can help out, please contact David.
J.

Good Morning everyone-

Don't you love last minute panics? They provide opportunities for
people to step up and make a difference. We need your help to make a
difference at the Washington DC Dragon Boat Festival this weekend.
Despite the low entry fee (it is free), We only had two teams sign up
for the BCS division this year- HopeAfloat and Machestic Dragons.

I just got an e-mail last night from Machestic Dragons- they don't
have enough people for a boat to come to the DC festival. It sounds
like they only have 4-5 paddlers that can come down. I have another 4
from GOPINK-DC that have been training all Spring and were supposed to
paddle with Machestic Dragons. I hate to see our BCS division
disappear, and fear that if it does, the festival won't include it in
future years. I feel that this is an incredible program, and want to
see it grow on the East Coast, so the loss of a festival that offers
free admission to the teams would be a set back.

We are looking for enough people to fill a second boat? If we can do
it in the next 24 hours, then we can run our BCS races. Otherwise, we
have to fold the remaining team into the Premier Women's division. I'm
sure that they'd do well there, but the BCS division itself wouldn't
be there to send out the message to the DC Community that breast
cancer is not the end of life. If you can quickly put the word out to
your teams, and have volunteers contact me by Wed. evening, I'd
appreciate it.

If it helps, I've got a couple of extra bedrooms with full size beds,
as well as a day bed and lots of floor space that I can offer to those
not allergic to cats. That would help those who don't have rooms at
this late date.

In the usual state of panic before a festival,

Dave Winter

Chair, Teams Committee

DC Dragon Boat Festival


David B. Winter, Ph.D.
dwinter@niaid.nih.gov