MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Nine Dragon boat teams from states throughout the South gathered at Riverfront Park on Saturday to participate in the Southeast Dueling Dragon Classic.
During the classic, teams from Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama and Texas took to the Alabama River to showcase their paddling skills and enjoy a chance to go head-to-head.
In addition to traditional dragon boat heats, the event also hosted a special race between teams consisting entirely of breast cancer survivors. Before the ladies took to the water, team members participated in a memorial?ceremony by joining hands and tossing pink carnations into the river.
"We want to show others that there is life after cancer," said Liz O'Connell, co-founder of the Pink Dragon Ladies team from Tampa, Fla. "You can be strong, athletic and thrive while you survive."
Montgomery Dragon Boat Race and Festival Founder Andrew Szymanski said the ceremony as well as the races is the festival's way of celebrating dragon boat racing as well as the lives of their team members.
"It's a great way to honor our teams and show them that Montgomery cares," said Szymanski.
The Southeast Dueling Dragon Classic is Alabama's first Regional competition for Club teams in the Southeast.
During the classic, teams competed in their division for points, and race times determined whether they advanced into the championship race, which is part of the circuit of races leading up to the Southeast Regional Championships.
Source: http://blog.al.com/montgomery/2013/06/breast_cancer_survivors_duke_i.html
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