| On 11/12 September the spectacular Funraisers Dragon Boat Festival will return to Bewl Water for its 13th year. It is an exhilarating day for the competitors, a thrilling show for the spectators, and all in aid of a wide range of good causes. Go to dephoto.co.uk to see the brilliant day had by all last year.
The Challenge...
The 11/12 September 2010 will see the 13th annual Dragon Boat Festival at Bewl Water.The 2009 event raised in excess of £214,000 for over 50 different charities. More than 800 people competed in an amazing display of paddle power, excitement and fun. Since the event began in 1998 well over £1million has been raised for 175 local and international charities.
The 11/12 September is your opportunity to be part of this fantastic event
Crews of 16 paddlers (plus a drummer) race in Chinese-style Dragon Boats over a 250 metre course. Crews do not need to be super fit or skilled to be successful - all that's required is teamwork and a good sense of fun!
Dragon Boat racing is steeped in mythology and has been around for many thousands of years in China. Popular legend has it that through the racing, Chinese dragons would bring rain. We hope that this will not be the case on the 11th or 12th September.
The racing is run by leading events company Dragon Boat Events Ltd who provide the boats, helms, safety equipment, buoyancy aids and rescue boats.
The Reason...
Funraisers Dragon Boat Festival is a unique event which allows you to choose the charity for which you want to raise money. Each team that enters the races selects a charity and ALL the money raised through sponsorship or prize money goes to that charity.
The Entertainment...
The racing takes place at Bewl Water in Lamberhurst. Funraisers Dragon Boat Festival has proved itself to be a fun day out for all the family with a wide range of entertainment for both children and adults...so bring your friends and a picnic.
The Rewards...
Each crew will race with 16 paddlers plus the drummer. However, we encourage teams to involve a few extra and to make available roughly 20 people on the day, and all raising money. We request that each team raises sponsorship of at least £2000 for their chosen charity...any prize money you may win on the day will be a bonus. The entry fee per team is £300 for Saturday and £350 for Sunday which is, of necessity, non-refundable.
The winner of the races will pick up a cheque for £450 for their chosen charity. There are prizes for 2nd and 3rd places of £300 and £150 respectively. The team that raises the most sponsorship wins £450, and the best-dressed team will receive another £150 for it's charity. Additional prizes will also be presented on the day, especially for good costume themes and well-decorated plot.
The Commitment...
This year we are asking each team to aim to raise at least £2000 for it's charity. Achieving this commitment will assist with entry in future years. We are in the fortunate position of having many teams who are very keen to enter the event and we want to encourage all those committed to achieving a good fundraising effort to be involved. We ask every team for their commitment to fully support their charity. We also ask every team to ensure that our charity sponsorship verification form is signed and returned to Funraisers confirming the amount raised as soon as possible after the event. Non-receipt of this form will jeopardise entry next year.
School P.T.A.s have given huge support to this event over the years and we wish to maintain their involvement. We also wish to have a good range of other charities involved. The number of entries from P.T.A.s and similar bodies will have to be limited to provide reasonable access to other charities catering for those less fortunate amongst us. Our advice to everyone is APPLY EARLY! Speed is a necessity.
The Opportunities...
...for your team to raise funds through this event are endless. Many teams raise £3-4000, some £5-7000 and one year a team raised almost £17,000! Try for company sponsorship and/or raise funds for your boat prior to the event with wine tasting evenings, raffles etc. You could raise additional funds, over and above your sponsorship, by applying to us to run a stall or activity on the day.
If you want to get involved, click on the links below to the Terms of Entry and the Dragon Boat Festival Application Form... |
Get Involved 
