Mountain States Foundation Dragon Boat Festiva;

Description

Dragon Boat Festival at Warriors' Path State Park on Aug. 29 to include Kids Paddle

KINGSPORT, Tenn. – The 10th annual Mountain States Foundation Dragon Boat Festival is coming up on Saturday, Aug. 29, and this year the event isn’t just for grownups. A Kids Paddle event has been added so children ages 7-12 can see what it’s like to get onto the water and paddle in a real dragon boat.

The festival will take place at a new location – Warriors’ Path State Park – and proceeds benefit the Willow Unit, Woodridge Hospital’s inpatient behavioral health unit for children and adolescents.

“This is shaping up to be another fantastic Dragon Boat Festival,” said Pat Holtsclaw, president of Mountain States Foundation. “I hope everyone will come out to enjoy beautiful Warriors’ Path State Park, celebrate our 10th anniversary and support this great cause.”

There are 29 teams registered for the main competition so far, fielded by various businesses and organizations throughout the area. Some teams in the main competition are still looking for people to fill out their paddle teams, so there are seats available. For more information or to make a contribution to the paddler or team of your choice, visit www.mshafoundation.org.

While the adults battle it out to see who is the overall champion, the Kids Paddle, sponsored by Club Z, will give younger paddlers a chance to race in these unique boats.

“Dragon Boat is a family fun event,” said Marsha Hammond, corporate director for signature events and marketing at Mountain States Foundation, “and we wanted to include some activities for children to get involved in the sport of dragon boat paddling. They’ve seen the adults doing this for years and now they can try it out as well.”

Each child must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. Registration is $50 per parent/child pair and both children and adults will be provided a personal flotation device. The Kids Paddle will take place over the lunch hour, in between rounds of the regular Dragon Boat Festival racing. To register, call Mountain States Foundation at 423-302-3126 or 423-302-3131.

Festival day will offer plenty of fun on land as well as on the water. A DJ will provide music from the Nuclear Fuel Services Stage. Food vendors will be set up, Art in the Park will feature various local artists, and there’s a health fair sponsored by Blood Assurance.

Parking is located in various places near the Warriors’ Path marina, where the festival takes place, and there will also be a transport shuttle from Colonial Heights Baptist Church to the event. The shuttle will stop at a couple of other nearby parking spots along the route: the swimming pool parking area and the fields across from the pool.

Pre-registration festivities are planned at the event site the night before the festival for participating teams while they set up their tents. The evening is sponsored by Buffalo Wild Wings.

Practice sessions for paddle teams can be scheduled for Aug. 25-28, Tuesday through Friday, from 3 p.m. until dark at the Warriors Path State Park Marina. Call the Foundation at 423-431-3126 or 423-302-3131, or visit www.mshafoundation.org.