HONOUR… Parkes Dragon Boat Club members took part in Dragons Abreast Australia’s Flowers on the Water ceremony by spreading out rose petals on Lake Endeavour on Sunday.
It is not every day you would see a top hat in a dragon boat, let alone a bright pink one, but on Sunday the Parkes Dragon Boat Club (PDBC) members turned on the pink for a very special day.
The club signed up for Pink Up Parkes and organised a Pink Paddle with members giving their creative dress sense free reign. There were all kinds of pink hats, ties with t-shirts, a party of pink tutus and even suspenders worn over a life jacket!
The fun day was balanced with the beautiful Flowers on the Water ceremony per- formed by Dragons Abreast representative from Orange Pearl Butcher.
It is a very special ceremony conducted by members of Dragons Abreast Australia to honour those who have, and are continuing to travel, the path of a breast cancer diagnosis, as well as remembering those who have lost their battle.
Dragons Abreast Australia is a national organisation comprised of breast cancer survivors of various ages who provide a “face” for the breast cancer statistics whilst spreading the message of awareness through participation in the wonderful sport of dragon boat racing.
“I would like to thank all our members for getting into the spirit of the event,” said PDBC President Bill Thomas. “The Flowers on the Water ceremony was a reminder that all of us have been or will be touched by cancer.”
Club members also organised a pink morning tea and a pink lamington drive to raise funds for the McGrath Foundation. Almost $300 was raised and handed over to Carolyn Rice of the Pink Up Parkes Committee who attended the event.
She thanked the club for their effort and praised the community of Parkes for their enthusiasm and support for Pink Up Parkes. “Our aim was to raise $20,000 and we have achieved that already, and might even get to $30,000,” she said.