Hamilton / Burlington
Lively Dragon
Who we are….
Lively Dragon is a member of the Hamilton Chamber of
Commerce, Hamilton small Business Centre, Bay area Restoration and active
participant in the Setting Sailing initiative.
Lively Dragon is a group of paddlers with loosely 200
members. Loosely, because some members are monthly paddlers, some are
three times a week paddlers and most are weekly and biweekly paddlers.
Our boats are on
the water four days of the week during peak dragon boat season. And on the
water a minimum once a week from April until November. We practice out
of Bayfront Park in Hamilton; along side Knot a Breast and other Hamilton
based dragon boat teams. Our paddlers come from Mississauga, Brampton,
and Milton with the majority of them living in the Hamilton/Burlington Area.
Fundraising…
In two short years
our club has achieved many fundraising accomplishments.
In May 2003, Lively Dragon hosted the dragon boat event
in Milton at Kelso Conservation Area. We raised over $8000 for ALS.
The top fundraising team was Dragon Ass, a team from Hamilton’s own…Ronny G’s
Sports Bar.
The same year
Lively Dragon members put together some Easter Gifts for the children at
Interval House and the boat was used for a food drive they conducted.
In May 2004,
Lively Dragon hosted the second dragon boat event in Milton at Kelso
Conservation Area. This year $10,000 was raised for Allendale
Foundation. Allendale Foundation supports a long-term care facility in
Milton.
July 2004, Lively
Dragon hosted the dragon boat races at RBC Aquafest. $3000 was raised
for Interval House. Interval House
is a 20-bed shelter providing both
security and supports for women both with and without children who are fleeing
violence.
Currently,
Lively Dragon is collecting funds to help a family with a handicapped two and
a half year old little boy. Joshua Hamel, of Burlington, needs a stander
and it looks like the medical funding is going to fall short by approximately
$800. Lively Dragon is currently holding a toonie drive to help cover
the $800 short fall.
May 28 2005,
Lively Dragon hosted the Third annual dragon boat event in Milton at Kelso
Conservation Area. This year $8,000 was raised for Willow Foundation in
suport of
Allendale a long-term care facility in Milton.
Promoting Lively Dragon Waterfest July 9 2005
Promoting RBC
Aquafest, our club and dragon boating.
We teach dragon
boating to a variety of schools:
In October, we taught dragon boating to two grade ten physed classes from
Westmont High School and to two outdoor adventure classes from Lester B
Pearson High School.
In May, we are
tentatively scheduled to teach in Westdale High School, Lord Elgin High School
and again at Lester B Pearson High School
The dragon boat
course consists of a classroom session where the history of dragon boating is
taught. The students learn about the political leader and poet named Qu
Yuan. The evolution of the dragonboat over the past 2500 years, reason for
hull design, about festivals such as RBC Aquafest in Hamilton and traditions
such as the dotting of the eye ceremony before a race. The classroom
sessions include video clips, pictures model of boat and race strategy
focusing on teamwork, value of working together importance of hydration and
warm-ups.
The pool session
takes place on the second day with the students.
They learn the
paddling technique and strategies of teamwork,
become familiar with components of the stroke.
Learn how to
effectively put the stroke together.
Teamwork ……. First
stages of working as an integrated team.
Day three and four
are spent on the water at Bayfront Park in Hamilton. The on the water
sessions consist of:
- Talk on water
safety
- On the water
practice
- Team building
- Race training
- Dotting of the
eye ceremony
- Race between the
two classes! “Ready Ready…….. GO!!!!”
Each school is
invited and encouraged to enter a team at RBC Aquafest. Our goal is to
have a student division at the dragon boat races 2005 RBC Aquafest.
We also were
involved in a Mystery Adventure Meeting. The youth pastor called us up
and took his youth group out in the boat one afternoon in August.
This season Lively
Dragon sponsored the Hamilton Sea Scout dragon boat practices. The group
of children ages 8 to 13 yrs old attended weekly dragon boat practices working
on team building.
We played games on
land and paddled in the boat. Fun was had by all!
Lively Dragon was
invited to the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) that
was held at McMaster University in Hamilton.
The OFSAA conducts
this Sports School every 2 years for women teacher-coaches from the high
schools and senior elementary schools around the province. They try to include
sessions on activities, which can be included in school programs.
The
Dragonboat racing has become an increasingly popular activity. OFSAA contacted
Lively Dragon Club to provide attendees with information on setting up
programs, and resource materials.
Next
year it will be a coed program with male and female teachers in attendance.
The sports school seminar will be held at Brock University and Lively Dragon
is on the invitation list.
Lively Dragon promotes RBC Aquafest, the club and dragon boating year round.
Last year we were involved in many Christmas Parades…. Burlington, Hamilton,
Cambridge and Milton!
We also took the
time and money to advertise the event by making up tabletop advertisements
that were placed in restaurants, and fitness centres to help build awareness.
Lively Dragon had
a banner created to further the marketing of the RBC Aquafest and the Lively
Dragon dragon boat race. This banner was displayed across Main Street in
front of City Hall for two weeks prior the banner advertising RBC Aquafest.
The heads and
tails are made to pivot up and out of the way incase of a collision between
boats. This helps to minimize injury and prevent long delays on race
day.
Trailers, drums,
drum seats, again made in Hamilton.
Lively Dragon
dragon boat race at RBC Aquafest 2004
Lively Dragon has
top-notch equipment. All gear is kept in pristine condition. Life
jackets are washed after every event to ensure clean, fresh smelling jackets
for all paddlers at the event and also at their practices!
Paddles are
competitive style paddles. They are a variety of lengths which appeals
to the recreational, novice and competitive teams. All paddles are well
maintained during the season.
Lively Dragon added three extra docks to the loading
area for the races at 2004 RBC Aquafest. This helped the flow of people
loading and unloading boats be very efficient. Lively Dragon club
members made the docks.
Many teams
received medals at the races! In fact, one in every three teams receives
medals at a race hosted by Lively Dragon.
Steel City
Paddlers
Titans
Lively Dragon supports local businesses by purchasing
medals, life jackets, boat graphics and other such supplies locally.
RBC Aquafest dragonboat
races had filmed finishes and race starts along with back up stopwatch for
each boat. Computer entries were made seeding teams into divisions.
