Dragon boats to race at Lake Tobesofkee

For the seventh time, dragon boats will race through Lake Tobesofkee to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Heart of Georgia. The spectacle kicks off at 1 p.m. Saturday.

“Dragon Boats are 20-foot long canoes, with a dragon head and dragon tail,” said Dianna L. Glymph, president/CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Heart of Georgia. “There are 10 paddlers and one drummer in each boat. It’s really quite a spectacle. It’s a lot of fun and a tremendous team-building exercise and we hope to have between 16 and 20 teams this year.”

Dragon boat racing is reported to be the best team building exercise there is, according to Glymph.

“Teams can bring their tents for the day, enjoy the exercise, the team building, the sand and water in a family-friendly event. Paddling, music, fun, food, family — it’s a great event for the participants and a great event for those cheering them on. It teaches people how to work together to drive the boat forward and not in circles. It is a team effort and the participants get to be friends. We are so grateful to our team and our sponsors, without whom this wouldn’t be possible.”

In addition to being a fun event, the Dragon Boat Race is a fundraiser for Big Brother Big Sisters of the Heart of Georgia.

“The team members raise the money that is donated to the agency and helps us provide mentors for our children,” Glymph said. “We encourage each team member to raise enough to recruit, screen and train a mentor for a child. Our goal is $115 per team member. This event helps us provide a caring adult to the children who need that mentorship and guidance in central Georgia. Every dollar raised goes to match mentors with youth.”

She said the organization’s mission is to provide children facing adversity with “strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. ”

For spectators, there is no fee to come and watch and cheer.

“Each team races at least twice, with the fastest teams racing more to determine the champion. This is a very family-friendly event. We have a lot of families and kids,” Glymph said. “Sandy Beach on Lake Tobesofkee is not generally open to the public before this event, so this is a chance to get out and have a good time. The water park won’t be open, but we will have activities for kids and there will be a lot to experience for people of all ages.

“If you’ve never seen Dragon Boat races, they are really fun and exciting. Technically, the boats race against the clock, but they are out there with each other, creating a really competitive event. Each race takes a little over a minute, but with the drums banging and the crowd cheering, it’s a really intense minute! ... It gets better every year and we hope that people come out to watch and cheer and have a good time.”

This story was originally published April 21, 2016 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Dragon boats to race at Lake Tobesofkee."