MORE than £1,500 has been raised for charity by Redditch’s Dragon Boat racing crew ‘The Flying Dragons’.
The team entered two boats in the annual fund raising event organised by Worcester Dragon Boat Racing Club, clinching third place – and a trophy – in the mixed paddlers race.
With Barclays Bank agreeing to match fund the total up to the value of £1,000, it means more than £2,500 has been raised for the vital charity Breast Cancer Now.
A delighted ‘Admiral’ Boon Yeng said he was overjoyed at the way the event, held last Sunday, had gone.
“When you go into something like this you just don’t know what to expect,” said Boon, from Webheath.
“And then when you see something extraordinary happening, when you see people working together, paddling together, encouraging each other it was emotionally a wonderful day.”
And Boon had special cause to be emotional. The Redditch crews were racing in memory of his niece Demi who died five years ago from breast cancer aged just 21.
“People were so generous and we are so grateful for the donations raised by our crews and from the other participants on the day,” said Boon.
The Flying Dragons entered two boats in the event, which saw paddlers racing up and down the River Severn in Worcester.
First skipper Tamsin Chik said: “We’re really happy and had a great day. We’d brought a Chinese Lion’s head and had great fun with that when we weren’t racing.”
Boon’s son Josh, who skippered the second boat added: “It was truly exhilarating and to come away with third in the mixed event was just fantastic.”
Boon’s just giving page is still open. To make a donation visit http://bit.ly/2ulRsrB
