Survivors Abreast Peterborough Dragon Boat Team Celebrates 25 Years

Sent by Michelle Thorton

Survivors Abreast Peterborough, celebrates its 25-year anniversary this month. The Dragon Boat Team, made up of breast cancer survivors from the Peterborough area, was founded by Meredith Cosburn, who was encouraged by a friend (a member of the Toronto-based Dragons Abreast team) to do what she had done to help with her own breast cancer recovery – join a dragon boat team.

Photo courtesy of Peterborough Dragon Boat Festival.

Breast cancer survivor dragon boat paddling began at the University of British Columbia in 1996. Dr. Don McKenzie a professor in the department of sports medicine and an exercise physiologist, challenged the prevailing medical thinking that woman treated for breast cancer should avoid rigorous upper body exercise for fear of developing lymphoedema, a debilitating and chronic side-effect of treatment. Dr. McKenzie developed a program to determine the impact of exercise on breast cancer survivors, choosing dragon boat paddling as the epitome of strenuous, repetitive upper body exercise. He trained twenty-four breast cancer volunteers in a gym for three months, introduced them to dragon boats and taught them paddling techniques. At the end of the three-month season on the water none of the volunteers had lymphoedema. Not only that, survivors found they were fitter, healthier and happier. They loved the camaraderie and support of their fellow paddlers. They realized dragon boat paddling could become a means of raising breast cancer awareness and show that survivors could lead normal lives. They called themselves “Abreast in a Boat”.

And so, with the help of a newspaper article calling on other breast cancer survivors, Survivors Abreast held it’s very first meeting on Nov. 18, 1999.

By January 2000, the “Peterborough and District Breast Cancer Survivors Dragon Boat Team” was 27 members strong and they were excited to learn how to paddle.

The Team soon adopted the name Survivors Abreast Peterborough.

The team still needed a boat and Dr. John Rowsom, then chief of surgery at PRHC, was instrumental in helping them overcome this hurdle. He and three other doctors, Dr. R. Chenoweth, Dr. J. Scott and the late Dr. R. Jaroszonek, each donated $1,000 for a down payment towards a dragon boat.

A story about the team published in the Peterborough Examiner sparked enough interest for Liberty Mutual to provide the rest of the money needed to pay for a dragon boat built by Glenn Fallis of Voyageur Canoe.

The Holiday Inn then donated wharf space and the Chamber of Commerce offered free parking. Lawyer Bill Lockington volunteered free legal counsel to incorporate the team which eventually gained charitable status.

April 30, 2000 was the first time the team actually got in the boat. The community was on board right away and a special dedication was held with a traditional eye-dotting ceremony. Getting the team on the water was truly a community effort. Survivors Abreast Peterborough Dragon Boat Team celebrates 25 years as a team! The following year the team announced that dragon boat races would take place on Little Lake as part of the third annual Great Kawartha Canoe-A-Thon. The event was called Liberty Mutual’s Day on the Water and was in support of various charities. Survivors Abreast donated $25,000 to the PRHC Breast Assessment Centre.

In 2002 Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival took on a life of its own and hosted its very first official Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival. $84,509.18 was donated to the PRHC Foundation in support of the Breast Assessment Centre. The event has since grown to be one of our communities’ most anticipated events to kick off the summer.

By 2007 the festival had raised over $1 million and the team was awarded a Civic award for community betterment. The new breast assessment centre at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre was completed in 2008 and was named the “Survivors Abreast Breast Assessment Centre”. The team also received a Peterborough This Week Philanthropy Award that year.

In 2005, Survivors Abreast travelled to Vancouver in celebration of the Abreast in a Boat team’s 10 year anniversary and to commemorate Dr Don Mackenzie who founded the breast cancer paddling movement. This festival proved to be the very first international dragon boat festival for breast cancer paddlers. A second one was held in Australia 2 years later. These led to the formation of the International Breast Cancer Paddlers Commission (IBCPC), a commission of the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF). A formal bidding process was introduced for the 2010 international festival, and Peterborough was chosen over 2 teams from England, 1 from Italy and 1 from New Zealand. 66 teams came from all over Canada, the US, Australia, England, Italy and South Africa. Survivors Abreast was awarded three Peterborough Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence awards that year. One for tourism, Health and Wellness and Marketing, and one for Promotions. The International Festival has been held every 4 years since 2010. Survivors Abreast travelled to Sarasota, Florida in 2014, Florence, Italy in 2018, Waikato, New Zealand in 2023 and will be attending the IBCPC festival in France in 2026 to represent the Peterborough region.

In keeping with the team’s mission to improve fitness and develop the paddling skills required for dragon boating while raising awareness and fundraising for breast cancer care in our community, Survivors Abreast Peterborough takes pride in hosting the annual Peterborough’s Dragon boat Festival.

To date, the Festival has raised more than $4.5 million for breast and other cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment through the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation.

Next year’s event will take place on June 14, 2025. Survivors Abreast has grown over the years and the Festival has evolved. The team has represented Peterborough and the surrounding area at regattas and other events near and far…rain or shine. They continue to raise awareness and give back to the community because it’s always been about Hope, Passion, Dedication, Community, Fun and Making a Difference, One Race at a Time.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

List of Road Closures During Peterborough Dragon Boat Festival This Saturday

For the public’s safety, Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival committee has secured approval from the City of Peterborough to close Crescent Street from George Street to Winch Street on race day this Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

EACH YEAR, THE DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL MEETS AT LITTLE LAKE OFF CRESCENT STREET. PHOTO COURTESY OF PETERBOROUGH DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL

The closures are in place at the following locations:

• Rink St. from the east side of George St at the Crary Park Marina entrance.

• Perry St. from the east side of George St. to the west side of Crescent St.

• Lake St. from the east side of George St. to the west side of Crescent St.

• Lock St. from the north side of Romaine St. to the south side of Crescent St.

• Romaine Street from the east side of Lock St. to the west side of Crescent St.

• Crescent St. from the south side of Perry St. to the west side of Winch St.

Emergency No Parking signs will be installed in the following locations:

• Lock Street (both sides) from Romaine Street to Ware Street

• Winch Street (both sides) from Crescent Street to Ware Street

• Haggart Street (both sides) from Crescent Street to Ware Street

• Crescent Street (both sides) from Winch Street to Haggard Street

• Ware Street (both sides) from Haggart Street to Lock Street

The following is the event schedule (times are subject to change):

• 8 a.m. - Shuttle bus to parking areas begins running (see website for details)

• 8 a.m. - Awakening the Dragon/Opening Ceremonies

• 8:30 a.m. - First Race Heats begin

• 9 a.m. - Vendors Village Market opens with over 40 vendors brought to us from Modern Makers  Market including food vendors

• 9 a.m. - Family Fun Zone opens offering activities and crafts from 15 providers to keep everyone entertained.

• 11 a.m. - The Thirsty Dragon Beer Garden opens

• 11:15 a.m. to noon - Mackenzie Cup Race series followed by the Survivor Flower Ceremony

• 1 p.m. - Second Race Heats begin

• 3:10 p.m. - Divisional Finals begin

• 3:45 p.m. - Last shuttle bus leaves Del Crary Park

• 4 p.m. - Raffle draw at the tent near the bleachers

• 4:30 p.m. - Last shuttle bus leaves Del Crary Park

• 5:10 p.m. - Final Race fooled by Awards Presentations Fundraisers - At the bleachers

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Registration For Peterborough's 22nd Dragon Boat Festival Opens This Wednesday

It’s paddles up for Little Lake as registration for the 22nd Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival opens this Wednesday at midnight.

To date, the festival has raised over 3.9 million dollars. File Photo.

This year’s event takes place on June 10 at Del Crary Park and features Dragon Boat Races, artisan and food vendors, Family Fun Zone, a beer garden and more according to a press release.

“I am thrilled to once again work with an amazing group of volunteers,” said Michelle Thornton, festival chair. “We continue to work hard to fulfill our motto of ‘Making a Difference One Race at a Time’ by raising money to help fund world-class breast and other cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC).

Proceeds of the 2023 Festival go towards PRHC to invest in cancer care equipment and technology. Examples include minimally-invasive surgical tools and a second cutting-edge MRI machine.

“We’ve always focussed on breast cancer awareness and raising funds for the Peterborough Regional Health Centre’s (PRHC),” said Ann Stabler, Dragon Boat team president. “We know firsthand the importance of PRHC’s continuing mission to bring the best cancer care the world has to offer, right here to our hospital. With community support, the hospital will be able to serve more patients, support earlier cancer diagnosis, and ensure safer, more effective treatment, close to home.”

Lesley Heighway, PRHC Foundation President & CEO says she’s grateful to everyone who helped the Festival thrive over the years.

“Cancer volumes are on the rise and the number of patients from Peterborough and the surrounding area who receive treatment at PRHC has grown significantly,” she said. “PRHC’s ability to provide expert, compassionate cancer treatment depends on having state-of-the-art equipment and technology.”

The first three teams to register earn a free extra practice in a dragon boat on Little Lake.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Several Road Closures to Occur During Dragon Boat Festival This Saturday

For the public’s safety, the City of Peterborough has closed several roads at the request of the Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival committee with races beginning on Saturday.

File Photo.

Roads such as Crescent Street from George Street to Winch Street from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. are closed on race day.

The streets affected are:

• Perry Street from the east side of George St. to the west side of Crescent Street.

• Lake Street from the east side of George St. to the west side of Crescent Street.

• Lock Street from the north side of Romaine St. to the south side of Crescent Street.

• Romaine Street from the east side of Lock St. to the west side of Crescent Street.

• Crescent Street. from the south side of Perry St. to the west side of Winch Street.

• Rink Street from the east side of George St at the Crary Park Marina entrance.

Eeveryone is welcome to attend Festival at Del Crary Park to spectate and cheer for the participants.

The following is the event schedule for the this year’s races:

• 8:00 AM - Awakening the Dragon/Opening Ceremonies

• 9:00 AM - First Race Heats begin

• 9:00 AM - Vendors Village Market opens with over 40 vendors brought to us from Modern Makers Market including food vendors

• 9:30 AM - Family Fun Zone opens offering activities and crafts to keep all entertained

• 10:40 AM - Mackenzie Cup Race followed by the Flower Ceremony

• 11:00 AM - The Thirsty Dragon Beer Garden opens

• 12:10 PM - Second Race Heats begin

• 2:00 PM - Divisional Finals begin

• 3:15 PM - Awards Ceremony - Race Trophies/Top Individual Fundraisers - At the bleachers

• 4:00 PM – Raffle draw at the tent near the bleachers

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Dragon Boat Festival Will Take To The Water This Year After Two Year Hiatus

The 21st annual Peterborough Dragon Boat Festival will take to the water this year to raise money for the PRHC Foundation, after having no in person event for the last two years.

Photo from the 15th annual Dragon Boat Festival. File Photo.

The festival will take place on June 11 at Del Crary Park.

“The last few years have been quite challenging for our team” said Festival host Survivors Abreast Team President Marg Walsh. “We are resilient and have managed to keep the team active and the Festival alive. We are inspired by the enthusiasm the community has already shown and can’t wait to once again welcome everyone to such a worthy and important fundraising event as we continue to work hard to ensure everyone from across our region has access to world-class breast cancer care.”

After being cancelled in 2020, the Festival went virtual last year and raised over $95,000, bringing their 20 year fundraising total to over $3.7 million dollars.

“It was absolutely awe-inspiring to see organizers and supporters keep this incredible event going in such fun and creative ways, while continuing their generous support of world-class regional cancer care, close to home,” said Leslie Heighway, PRHC Foundation president and CEO.

Participants will enjoy the same features that have been at the festival in the past as well as new ones including: 

• A new FundRacing division for those teams or individuals who are not able to participate in person but still want to support the festival and make use of the fundraising tools available to those who register. (Prizes are also up for grabs for top fundraisers in this division)

• The One Stop Dragon Boat Shop will be available online leading up to race day and in person on race day

• The Family Fun Zone offering activities and crafts to keep all entertained

• The Dragon’s Lair, Loft & Nest – a luxurious tent experience and added perks for the top three fundraising teams

• The Vendor Village Market – with over 40 vendors brought to us from Modern Makers Market including food vendors

• The Thirsty Dragon – Beer Garden

• The Flower ceremony which will be open to the community at large to honour their loved ones.

According to Heighway, proceeds from this years Festival will allow Peterborough Regional Health Centre to invest in new state-of-the-art equipment and technology to serve more cancer patients, support earlier cancer diagnosis, and provide safer, more effective treatments.

Kawartha Credit Union will be the events sponsor for the 21st year in a row.

Registration for the 2022 Festival is available on April 1 at www.ptbodragonboat.ca.

The first 3 teams to register will win a free extra practice in a dragon boat on Little Lake. Participants and supporters are encouraged to engage with the Festival on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using the handle @ptbodragonboat

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Dragon Boat Festival Raises Over $90,000 For PRHC Breast Assessment Centre

The fight against breast cancer takes another step forward as Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival members donated $91,853.20 to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation at Peterborough Square on Thursday.

To date, the festival has raised more than $3.7 million for cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment through the PRHC Foundation. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The money is towards a diagnostic ultrasound machine for the Breast Assessment Centre at the PRHC which Dragon Boat Festival had raised money for in their first-ever campaign. It will aid in cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment.

The target goal was $84,509.18, a specific figure that was quickly addressed by Gina Lee, 2021 festival chair.

“We also realized that we have come full circle and to celebrate our 20th anniversary, we decided our goal would be to match the $84,509.18 donation we made to the PRHC Foundation 20 years ago when we were first starting out,” she said.

Volunteers from Survivors Abreast, the Dragon Boat Festival organizing committee, PRHC reps and sponsors were in attendance to unveil the final amount raised.

This year’s event was run virtually where teams were challenged to hold virtual races online. Points were awarded to individuals and teams for participation, fundraising and video or photo submissions.

The number of cancer treatment patients from Peterborough and the surrounding area is trending upward every year. 

“The hospital’s mission to provide world-class cancer care, close to home, remains as important as ever. So the support of Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival and our community is vital,” said Lesley Heighway, PRHC President and CEO. “This state-of-the-art equipment will provide better quality images so radiologists can detect smaller, difficult-to-see breast abnormalities quickly and accurately. This will help save lives.”

Survivors Abreast is the festival host team and is overjoyed of the Festival’s impact on the PRHC.

“Our goals remain the same,” said Marg Walsh, Survivors Abreast President. “To raise funds for the best cancer care in our community, to raise awareness about breast cancer and to encourage participation in the festival. None of this would be possible without the generous spirit of giving in our community and the joint efforts of our sponsors, volunteers, enthusiastic paddlers and donors.”

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Survivors Abreast Storage Locker Broken Into With Items Stolen

The Survivors Abreast Dragonboat team is asking for the public’s help in locating items stolen from their storage locker on Thursday at approximately 5:30 p.m.

EACH YEAR, THE DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL MEETS AT LITTLE LAKE OFF CRESCENT STREET. PHOTO COURTESY OF PETERBOROUGH DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL

Among the stolen items were a dragon head that is placed on their boat, a drum, two wooden drum seats that fasten on the front of the boats, a box of safety kits and a camping tent.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Peterborough Police service at 705-876-1122.

For more information, contact Kathryn MacKinnon, Survivors Abreast Vice President, 705-927-3233 or jkmackinnon231@gmail.com

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Dragon Boat Festival Celebrates 20th Anniversary With Virtual Races

It is dry land for the Dragon Boat Festival this year but organizers have created a virtual event to celebrate the 20th anniversary announced on Monday.

Each year, the Dragon Boat Festival meets at Little Lake off Crescent Street. Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Dragon Boat Festival.

This year’s points-based virtual races will include activities such as 20 minutes of physical activity, a colouring contest, submitting a cheer, dressing up in registrants’ best pink outfits and many more.

Points will be awarded for participation, fundraising and/or submitting videos or photos.

The event is on June 12, with the first day of registration —can only be done online — on Thursday. Signups are free and the first three teams and individuals to register will earn bonus points.

the festival in 2019 donated $241,738.54 to the PRHC Foundation in support of breast cancer treatment and care. Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Dragon Boat Festival.

Proceeds of the fundraising event go towards the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation who supports world-class breast and other cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment at Peterborough Regional Health Centre.

The money is for a new ultrasound machine for the Peterborough Breast Assessment Centre.

“We realize we have come full circle and we are so proud of the incredible impact that Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival has had since its inception,” said Gina Lee, festival chair. “The pandemic has forced us to rebuild the event and our goal is to match the $84,509.18 donation we made 20 years ago.”

This is the second consecutive year the festival will go virtual. Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Dragon Boat Festival.

The festival has raised over $3.6 million to date.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Register A Team Now For 15th Annual Peterborough Dragon Boat Festival

The 2015 Peterborough Dragon Boat Festival takes place Saturday, June 13th this year—and the deadline to register a team is fast approaching!

The deadline for team registration is April 14th.

This is the 15th annual Dragon Boat Festival in Peterborough—an incredible milestone of ensuring the best possible breast cancer diagnosis and treatment is available right here in our community.

Don’t miss this amazing anniversary year—sign your team up and start fundraising today!

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, and Like us on Facebook.