Oars, Roars and a Party on the Shore
Written by Alison Walsh

People of all shapes and fitness levels competing in a thrilling new sport to raise much needed money for a worthy cause – you’ll find all this and more at the second annual Dragon Boat Upstate Festival, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 13 at Portman Marina on Lake Hartwell.
Legend holds that dragon boat racing got its start more than 2,000 years ago in southern China, where boats festooned with dragon heads were used in rituals to encourage bountiful harvests. Around 277 B.C., Qu Yuan, a senior minister, diplomat and poet, angered his political rivals and was banished from the kingdom. When Qu put stones in his pocket and drowned himself in the Mi Lo River, local fisherman raced out to rescue him, pounding drums and splashing with their paddles to scare the fish and water dragons away from his body. In subsequent years, the people of southern China began staging annual dragon boat races to commemorate their beloved Qu Yuan.
The tradition made its way to North America by way of the World’s Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia. Since that time dragon boating has continued to gain popularity as an innovative way to support local charities and organizations.
Local developer and Upstate native Caleb Freeman was introduced to the sport two years ago while on a business trip to Nova Scotia, where his business partners happen to be members of the world champion Canadian dragon boat team. He paddled in a festival in Halifax and fell in love with the sport.
Six months later, Freeman and his wife Mary decided to bring the fun home and make it their annual civic contribution. “We wanted to do something different, something Greenville has never seen,” he remembers. “I said, why not have our own dragon boat festival?”
Not long after that Freeman was entertaining Albert McDonald, one of his Canadian business partners and dragon boater extraordinaire, over dinner at Portman Marina. As the sun set over Lake Hartwell, McDonald remarked that the marina would be the perfect venue for a dragon boat race.
As luck would have it, McDonald also serves as general manager for Dragon Boat East, which supplies the boats and equipment to dragon boat festivals throughout North America. And Freeman’s brother David owns Portman Marina, so securing the venue was no problem.
With the key elements of the event in place, the Freemans had to choose a beneficiary. Funds raised this year will once again benefit the Oncology Research Institute in collaboration with The Children’s Hospital and the Clinical Research Unit, a collaboration of Greenville Hospital System Cancer Center and Cancer Centers of the Carolinas.
“Everybody I know is touched by cancer in one way or another,” Freeman explains. “My wife and I wanted to support the great cancer research they’re doing at the Greenville Hospital System – it is truly world class research.”
Teams are made up of 20 paddlers and one drummer – captains are also encouraged to corral four or five folks willing to serve as alternates. The race course is 200 meters, and each race typically lasts two to three minutes. Teams can expect to race in two or three heats and everyone walks away a winner, whether on board the fastest, slowest, funniest, or loudest boat. Spectators will have plenty to do in between cheering on their favorite boats, with live music, a food court and children’s activities galore.
“We’ve done a lot of first year festivals,” McDonald remarks, “and Greenville is the best I’ve seen.”
Event organizers and past participants alike insist that muscle doesn’t necessarily make for a winning team. “A boat full of brawny athletes gives you false confidence,” Freeman says. “It is the synchronicity of the paddlers that makes the difference.”
Dragon boat racing does stoke some competitive fires, but winning isn’t really what it’s all about. The 2006 Dragon Boat Upstate Festival raised more than $50,000 for cancer research, and organizers have set their sights on doubling that with this year’s event.
“Everybody wants to come back and paddle,” Freeman says.
Greenville native Gail Cadorniga will drive up from Charleston to rejoin the Jack’s Butterfly team, organized by Gina Turcotte, of the Greenville Hospital System Office of Philanthropy and Partnership, in memory of her uncle. When Turcotte called on her college pal, Cadorniga answered and recruited her former Clemson crew teammates to join her.
Cadorniga also invited her roommate, Brigid Creeden, to join the team. Creeden’s own Uncle Jack lost his battle with liver cancer just a few weeks before last year’s festival.
“There needs to be more research, and in order for that to happen we need more fundraising,” Creeden says.
Another returning participant who knows the importance of supporting cancer research is A.B. Stewart, a breast cancer survivor and avid community volunteer, who will be on board the survivors’ boat again this year.
“This is a fun, different and healthy way to raise money for a cause,” Stewart says. “It reinforces the fact that one is a survivor – we’re past treatment, over the hump, and we’re back getting fit again.”
All three agree that while it does involve a strenuous few minutes of paddling, anyone can participate.
So far the $100,000 goal looks realistic. Harper Corporation is returning as the title sponsor and all 24 of last year’s teams have said they’ll be back this year. There will also be room for new teams, with 48 total slots open this year. In addition to the entry fee – $1,000 for not-for-profit teams and $2,200 for corporate boats – team members are encouraged to collect donations from friends, family and coworkers.
“Don’t just show up and paddle,” Freeman implores. “Help the charity; it’s what we’re all there for.”