On Sunday 18th May, on the Great Pool at Himley Park, the Rotary Club of Wolverhampton will stage its fourteenth annual Dragon Boat Challenge.
In the last thirteen years the event has raised over £285,000 for needy causes. Crew Members secure sponsorship which is split between a charity nominated by the crew and the club’s Rotary Charitable Trust. Every year the Trust, from this and other events, distributes over £40,000 to charities, locally, nationally and overseas.
There are 30 places available for crews, which are drawn from, Companies, Building Societies, Police, Local Authority departments, Schools, Sports clubs, Charities, Pubs and many others. Crews range from 12 to 16 members, plus a drummer to beat out the stroke. Each boat has an expert helmsman in charge to ensure that safety on the water is absolutely maintained – some of the helmsmen are members of the GB Dragon Boat Squad. Each crew has three outings over the 250 metre course, racing against two other crews, and times for each crew are logged. The six crews with the fastest times then go head-to-head in a spectacular six-boat final.
The first heats start at about 11 am, with the final being staged at about three o’clock. While the activity is taking place on the water, the lakeside surroundings will offer fairground rides, stalls, food outlets, ice-cream, grass areas for games and picnics, lovely walks around the grounds and the chance to explore the hall itself – all the ingredients for a fun day out for all the family.
More details of the event can be found at www.rotarydragonboats.co.uk.
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