DRAGONS ABREAST IN AUSTRALIA 02/10/2007 - By Maria Mourikis
One in three Australian women will have an experience with breast cancer in their lifetime according to the stats, but as Maria Mourikis finds out Breast Cancers Dragon Abreast is breathing new life into the cause hosting the largest dragon boat race in the southern hemisphere.
Abreast in Australia 2007 is a three-day dragon boat race held on Kawana Lake in the Southern Queensland town of Caloundra. The event aims to increase awareness about breast cancer through participation in the strenuous and synergistic sport of dragon boat racing.Attracting 2,000 registered paddlers and over 4,000 spectators and supporters, the majority of participants came from interstate and overseas making Caloundra, with its aesthetic appeal and already established tourist facilities, the perfect location.We chose Caloundra for its holiday appeal, said Michelle Hanton, National Co-ordinator of Dragons Abreast Australia.Two years in the making and with a budget of $1.2 million, Hanton aimed to make the event a trip of a lifetime for breast cancer survivors everywhere. Were not running a technically perfect race, we are running a celebration of life, she says of the first event of this scale to be held in Australia.Although based around the 2,500 metre course at Kawana Lake, the festival was spread throughout many of the citys key venues showing off the beauty of this coastal town.The amphitheatre style Kings Beach Park was used for the opening ceremony, Aussie World Amusement Park hosted the Saturday night party and the main street was the site for the opening march and parade. Each of the events was linked by a $100,000 bus system implemented by Sun Air, which provided convenient and safe travel for participants throughout the event.The picturesque Kawana Lake provided a sparkling location for the dragon boat races and off-water activities. As well as a spectator picnic area, infrastructure was brought in by Moreton Hire to create 16 market stalls, which all had full view of the races. An enormous air-conditioned pavilion style tent was also erected to host a number of workshops and mini movies for the events participants.Hantons main objective was to resonate a positive atmosphere that created a sense of community and belonging. These women come from all walks of life, different nationalities and socio economic backgrounds, so we wanted to create an event where everyone was equal and free to enjoy themselves, explains Hanton.Rather than selling individual admission prices to each of the different activities, Hanton opted for an all inclusive ticket price of $400, which entitled each participant to water training sessions, lunch and dinner each day, a souvenir t-shirt, a fold up chair, other souvenirs and merchandise, and transport between the events and selected accommodation.The sponsors also played an important role. Go Away Travel provided a specialised service for North American participants, with over 800 guests from the region booking with the company. Sponsors also provided the prizes for the raffle, which included one weeks accommodation from Caloundra Tourism as well as return airfares and a Rocky Mountains Tour in Canada sponsored by Qantas.There was no paid staff at the event, only volunteers, who came through Lions, Rotary and Zonta clubs, and from mainstream dragon boat clubs in Queensland as well. The Caloundra Surf Life Savers provided car parking assistance and the local police helped out with the street parade. Local businesses got on board too by erecting themed window displays in the events signature pink colour and offering discounts to participants.The local council initially didnt want to close the road for the street parade, said Hanton. She explains it took the council 18 months and a survey of the local community for them to agree to close the busy street in the middle of school holidays. The survey showed 90% resounding support for the closure, she says.The local media in the area also helped out by promoting the lead up to the event, with radio station HOT FM 91.1 staging a breakfast where members of the media and general public were invited to get acquainted with the site and watch a dragon boat race between the sponsors.Although initially met with scepticism by some of the local community, the event was a huge success in raising awareness for breast cancer survivors and organisations such as Dragons Abreast. Hopefully seeing what we put on will encourage other (Dragons Abreast) groups to do the same, Hanton says.Deets:Event Organisers:Dragons Abreast Australia
Tel: 1300 889 566
Email: nationalcoordinator@dragonsabreast.com.au
Web: http://www.dragonsabreast.com.au/Contact: Michelle Hanton, National CoordinatorVenues:Kawana Lake
Main Drive,
Kawana Waters QLD
Kings Beach Park
The Esplanade,
Kings Beach QLDAussie World & Ettamogah Publicist
73 Frizzo Road,
Palmview QLD
Tel: (07) 5494 5444Catering:Caloundra Events Centre
20 Minchinton St,
Caloundra Qld 4551
Tel: (07) 5491 4240Transport:Sun Air Bus Services
70 Hoopers Road,
Kunda Park QLD
Tel: 1800 804 340Equipment Hire:Moreton Hire
31 Paringa Road,
Murarrie QLD 4172
Tel: (07) 3307 4444
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