Charleston Living Magazine Nov-Dec 2021

BUZZ | SOUTHERN DRAWL
Yes, there’s certainly physical benefits of
dragon boating. It’s a whole body workout,
Richards said.
But what’s even more powerful is the
peer support and camaraderie. Newly-diagnosed
cancer patients sit next to someone in
the middle of treatment and someone who
has come out the other side, beating the odds
and living to tell about it.
Dragon Boat Charleston has teams of
women, co-ed teams and even a program just
for those with a current cancer diagnosis. The
PATH Program – which stands for paddle,
achieve, transform, heal – is a 10-week session
specifically for those with cancer. It’s especially
motivating for those newly diagnosed or in
the midst of treatment, Richards explained.
“They are in the boat with other cancer
survivors, and the power of that is amazing,”
she said. “They are with other people who
have been through the same thing, who have
walked through the same thing they have
gone through. They’re around other people
who have been through cancer 15 or 20 years
ago and that’s so motivating to see they are
living a healthy life and still paddling,” she
added.
For many participants, dragon boating
serves as a break from the cancer that consumes
their days.
They can, as Richards noted, “leave
cancer on the dock.” They can simply take
in the sun setting on the Ashley River, enjoy
the people sitting beside them, and even, if
just for a short while, think about something
other than cancer.
Medical research is even proving what
Richards sees daily with Dragon Boat
Charleston members: connectedness and
social support positively impacts cancer
survivorship.
52 | CharlestonLivingMag.com
The Dragon Boat Charleston “Paddles
and Pearls” team, made up of breast cancer
survivors, at nationals in Colorado.
A 2020 study out of Canada looked at the
impact of prostate cancer survivors’ participation
in a dragon boating team. It found physical
benefits, but even more so was the positive
impact on the mens’ psychosocial wellbeing.
Another study revealed upper body exercise
– including dragon boating – is beneficial
for breast cancer survivors and can even reduce
rates of recurrence.
“They are doing something that gives
them a feeling of power over their body,”
Richards said. “And they are strong because
they are a team.”
The Power of Connection
“It’s easy to look and see how the people of
this organization lift each other up,” Richards
said of the Dragon Boat Charleston club.
“This organization has so much heart.”
Whether it’s dropping off a meal, writing
a card or making a phone call, the members
of Dragon Boat Charleston know they
have people who will step up to care for them.
While there’s so much to celebrate
among the members, Richards said there are
also tearful moments. In the last few months,
three club members have passed away – another
reminder that life is short.
Holiday Fundraising
Both the celebrations and the in memoriam
are motivation to keep the mission of Dragon
Boat Charleston moving forward. And for
most nonprofits, that’s been much harder in
the last 18 months.
The club typically hosts a fundraising
festival each May. Because of COVID-19,
the festivals in both 2020 and 2021 were
canceled. To make up the lost revenue,
Dragon Boat Charleston collaborated with
Explore Charleston on a new fundraiser last
year: Festival of Trees.
Teams that would normally have participated
in the Dragon Boat Festival decorated
20 holiday trees. Each tree was decorated in
memory of or in honor of a cancer survivor. The
tree’s theme is tied in some way to that person.
Richards said one of her favorite trees
last year was “Life of the Party.” The tree honored
Brandi Collins Moore, whose friends
said she was always the life of the party. They
adorned the tree with silver and gold decorations,
feathers and a top hat.
The Charleston Visitor Center will once
again host the trees for 2021. The public can
walk through the display and participate in an
auction to bid on their favorite tree. After the
display ends, volunteers will box up the trees
and decorations for delivery to the winning
bidders, who will have the festive holiday tree
for their 2022 celebration. A few select trees
will be available before Christmas.
Richards said last year, the dragon boat
club jumped into action to put together
the event in just a few short weeks. Plus, it
brought some holiday spirit and joy to what
had been a tough year.
For their second year holding the Festival
of Trees, the club will fill the Visitor
Center with even more trees. They’re also
adding wreaths and holiday workshops
around the theme of getting ready for the
holidays. The workshops will include a food
and floral demonstration, bow making, creative
gift wrapping and a how-to for making
holiday centerpieces.
Richards also has secured sponsorships for
this year’s event and they are well on pace to make
more than last year’s $17,000 for the group.
And the Dragon Boat Festival should be
back in May 2022.
“We have our fingers and paddles
crossed for the festival in May,” Richards said.
But with so many of the participants and
volunteers cancer survivors, their health and
safety is a priority.
That’s why the Festival of Trees is emerging
as a second key fundraiser for the organization.
And it adds a truly personal touch to
the important work Dragon Boat Charleston
is doing in the community.
“It’s super powerful when you go through
the Visitor Center and read all these stories,”
Richards said. •
View the Festival of Trees from Nov. 15 to Jan.
4 at the Charleston Visitor Center, 375 Meeting
St. in downtown Charleston. For details on
the auction and holiday workshops, visit www.
dragonboatcharleston.org. To participate in the
event or be a sponsor, email Richards at
neves@dragonboatcharleston.org.