Waves of Hope heading to Florida
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- Published on Saturday, October 25, 2014
Submitted Article
Members of the local dragon boat team Waves of Hope will travel to Sarasota, Fla. Oct. 24-26 to take part in the 2014 International Breast Cancer Paddlers鈥� Commission (IBCPC) Dragon Boat Festival at Nathan Benderson Park.
More than 3,000 breast cancer survivors (BCS) and supporters from all over the world will participate, making this the largest festival the IBCPC festival has ever organized. The event is designed to promote healthy living and to empower BCS to continue celebrating survivorship and quality of life after cancer.
鈥淥ur team is excited this event is being held in the USA and we are eager to head to Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota to paddle,鈥� says Annette Beatty, Waves of Hope. 鈥淏eing part of this world-class event at a world-class rowing venue is simply joyful. It enables us all to put our fears behind us and paddle forward to celebrate life.鈥�
The festival begins with pre-race events on Friday that will include training sessions, education forums and social activities focused on breast cancer awareness, wellness and healthy lifestyles. Race days will be Saturday and Sunday. Teams from all over the United States and countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, Italy, New Zealand and Canada will participate. Dr. Susan Love, an internationally-renowned breast cancer specialist and advocate, will be the keynote speaker at the opening ceremony. Dr. Don McKenzie, a sports medicine doctor who started the first BCS dragon boat team in 1996 when he challenged the theory that rigorous upper body exercise could cause lymphedema to women (and men) being treated for breast cancer, will be meeting and greeting participants on Saturday and Sunday. For more information including a complete list of race times and event details, visit sarasotabcs2014festival.org.
