Ottawa Dragon Boat Foundation raised $344,000 from 2010 Pledge Challenge
The Ottawa Citizen
Photo Courtesy of Kashmera on Flickr, unded under Creative Commons
The water’s a lot colder now, and the dragon boats are put away for the winter, but the good the Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival does continues to warm the hearts of local charities.
The mission of the Ottawa Dragon Boat Foundation is to help build, strengthen and enhance community life in Ottawa by raising, managing and distributing funds to charitable organizations.
The Ottawa Dragon Boat Foundation was established in 2003. To date more than $2.5 million has been raised through the Ottawa Dragon Boat Pledge Challenge and those funds have benefited more than 28 Ottawa area charities.
Full story via Ottawa Citizen website: Ottawa Dragon Boat Foundation raised $344,000 from 2010 Pledge Challenge
Dragon fever
Ottawa womens’ dragon boat team hopes to make waves in Macau at world championships
By Janet Wilson, The Ottawa Citizen
Galley Girls Janet Wilson and Carol Belanger try to keep dry while enjoying Macau’s night life.
Photograph by: Stephanie Brousseau, Image supplied
Ottawa’s Galley Girls are now in the land where it all began. The heat is up and dragon fever has infected the tiny island of Macau, where the world club crew dragon boat championship is set to begin Thursday, July 29.
The crew of 25 are the first Ottawa women’s team to qualify for a world meet and will compete against 15 crews from around the globe including two teams each from Montreal and Toronto. The Galley Girls, along with longtime coach Bruce Raymond, a captain on the Ottawa Fire Department who has paddled in several world championships, arrived Monday after a gruelling 27-hour flight.
Read more: Dragon fever
Galley Girls prove power of teamwork
Achieving their personal best over weekend, this dragon boat team knows how to pull together.
The Galley Girls head for the finish line in the Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival at Mooney’s Bay in Ottawa June 20,2010.
OTTAWA — When Stephanie Brousseau, 36, decided to join the Galley Girls dragon boat team four years ago, she thought it would just provide her with something to pass time.
She had taken leave from work as an elementary school teacher and was at home with her new-born daughter.
But Brousseau soon realized being part of the team wasn’t just a pastime.
Read more: Galley Girls prove power of teamwork
In Pictures: Weather fails to keep crowds from dragon boat festival
TRACEY TONG, METRO OTTAWA
Dragon boaters and their fans proved themselves a tenacious bunch this past weekend.
The weather, which changed from hot and sunny to cloudy and rainy several times during the Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival, failed to deter people from attending North America’s biggest dragon boat festival.
Read more: In Pictures
Dragon Boat fest boasts racing, music
TRACEY TONG, METRO OTTAWA
With just a few weeks to go before the Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival kicks off, teams of dragon boaters hit the water — some for the first time — last night after the first fleet of boats arrived at Mooney’s Bay yesterday.
From now until the festival kicks off on June 18, about 500 paddlers will practise every night, said the festival’s executive director, John Brooman.
Read more: Dragon Boat fest boasts racing, music
Paddlers preparing for local Dragon Boat Festival
EMC By Katie Stewart
Teams are beginning to register for this year’s annual Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival, which takes place at Mooney’s Bay from June 18 to 20. This is the 17th year that Ottawa has organized this popular event.
EMC Sports Close to 200 teams will have their paddles in the water racing to the finish line at the 17th annual Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival.
Taking place at Mooney’s Bay from June 18 to 20, it is the largest dragon boat festival in North America, with close to 5,000 paddlers and 65,000 attendees over three days.
Read more: Paddlers preparing for local Dragon Boat Festival
New President for Ottawa Festivals
EMC News – Ottawa Festivals, a not-for-profit organization that represents more than 50 festivals, special events and fairs in the National Capital Region, recently announced the election of John Brooman, executive director of the Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival, as their new president. Mr. Brooman has served on the board of directors since 2004, and helped shape the growth the organization has seen in recent years.
Full article on EMC website: New President for Ottawa Festivals
It’s festival season in the capital
TRACEY TONG, METRO OTTAWA
Ottawa is widely known as the city of festivals.
For residents looking for something to do on weekends without having to leave the city, the lineup doesn’t disappoint.
Read the full article on the Metro website to see a run down of a few of the many, many events that will be happening over the course of the next few months: It’s festival season in the capital
Register your dragon boat team
The Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival began in 1993 and has grown into one of North America’s largest dragon boat festivals! It is held annually at Mooney’s Bay Park in Ottawa and offers free admission to the public. This year the festival will be held on the weekend of June 18th-20th. This festival offers teams a great opportunity to participate in a fun, recreational event that attracts over 65,000 visitors and 5,000 paddlers each year. We would like to invite your organization to enter a team and join in on the fun!
What to expect:
- Great team building activity – fun & fitness for all ages
- Challenge Cups provide opportunity for friendly competition against other teams in your category
- Community event giving back to local charities ($1.8 million raised to date)
- Practices with certified coaches included in registration
- Live entertainment and beer garden
- Tim Hortons coffee kiosk on-site
- Free admission to spectators
- Free Children’s Area activities
- Greening initiatives
- Medals and trophies awarded to top teams
Team Registration Fee: $1,325 + GST (approximately $60 per person)
Fee includes two practices with qualified coaches, entry fee for the festival and all required equipment (boats, PFDs and paddles).
Spaces are filling up quickly, less than 50 spaces still available! Register online at www.dragonboat.net.
Please see the attached flyer for more information or contact Shelley at team@dragonboat.net or (613) 238-7711, ext 226.
Ottawa festivals and events receive more than $1.5-million in funding from Province
Funding will help Canada’s Festival Capital come to life with improved offerings.
OTTAWA – The Province has announced the recipients of 2010 Celebrate Ontario funding grants, and more than $1.5-million is being invested in festivals and events taking place in Ottawa.
Twelve Ottawa Festival members that include Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest, Tim Horton’s Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival, Ottawa Folk Festival, Ottawa International Animation Festival, Ottawa International Children’s Festival, Ottawa International Writers Festival, Rideau Canal Festival, Summer Solstice Aboriginal Arts Summer Festival, TD Canada Trust Ottawa International Jazz Festival, WESTFEST, Festival Franco-Ontarien, and Canadian Tulip Festival received funding this year.
“This is very exciting news,” says Barb Stacey, Executive Director of Ottawa Festivals, a not-for-profit organization that represents more than 50 not-for-profit festivals, special events and fairs that take place in the National Capital Region, “this represents a substantial investment in our community, especially considering that these investments are leveraged many times over through private investment, sponsorship and funding available from other levels of government.
“This investment will improve our offering to visitors and further Ottawa’s reputation as being Canada’s Festival Capital. This will help attract new visitors to our internationally renowned premier events, and our supporting events will certainly enhance the city’s many tourism and cultural attractions,” Stacey continues, “These events animate the city. They add colour, life and excitement.”
Awarded by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Celebrate Ontario funding helps communities realize the potential benefits associated with increased tourism and visitor spending. “Festivals and events are important drivers of tourism in Ontario. This support will help enhance their offerings and bring more jobs, visitors and spending to communities throughout our province,” said Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism and Culture.
