From the pink glove dance, to the carnation ceremony, these annual fixtures at the Sydenham Challenge Dragon Boat Festival in Wallaceburg, are both emotional and fun.
Brian Armitage, one of the event organizers and founders of the event, said the sponsor for the carnation ceremony this year is All Seasons Nursery And Flowers.
“What it is, it’s a time to reflect on those that you have lost through cancer. Your loved ones, friends and family. Traditionally they all go out and there is a nice song and you might have a speaker. You have all the breast cancer teams out in the water, as we do, and people in the audience. This year we are going to have 200 and all at one time they toss their carnations in the water.”
“Here you have the dragon boats and breast cancer survivors in them with carnations surrounding them in the water. That is in memory of the loved ones that you have lost,” Brian said.
The pink glove dance, which was originated by a group of nurses and some pink latex gloves, coincides with the mission of the Breast Buddies, one of the fund recipients from the Wallaceburg event.
“Part of the mission statement of the Breast Buddies is a little different,” Brian said. “They believe that there is life after cancer. Just because you get cancer, it’s not necessarily a death sentence. Those fortunate enough to survive, there is life after cancer. You look at the Breast Buddies Dragon Boat Team and they have people on that team that are in their late 70’s.”
Brian added: “We thought the pink glove dance would fit very well. So the river basin from up on the bridge, to the library side, to the legion side, you have all these people dancing to the pink glove dance. Actually the link is swaying back and forth with their hands up. Right after, the Breast Buddies come on and they give a little story about it. We end with the flowers being tossed in and than we go into the pink glove dance and that’s about celebration. There is life after cancer.”
Brian said there is an updated song as well.
“Everyone is just boogieing to the song and the breast cancer survivors and doing a big circle in the dragon boat. It’s kind of emotional.”
The 2015 event will be held on Saturday, June 6 from 8 a.m. to approximately 4 p.m. at the Wallaceburg Legion Br. 18. There will also be a host of kid’s events taking place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information visit their website: http://sydenhamchallenge.ca/index.html
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This article is sponsored content and is a part of our “Keep It Local Business Spotlight” feature. Contact Dana Haggith for more information – 519-784-4610 or dana@sydenhamcurrent.ca.
