Dragon Boats Come Back to North Beach

On Saturday, June 20, 2015 over 3,000 people came to the North Beach boardwalk to support the 3rd Annual End Hunger Dragon Boat Festival! The Dragon Boat Festival featured 38 boats of 16 paddlers and a drummer in a heart-racing competition to paddle across the finish line with the fastest time.

The purpose of the End Hunger Dragon Boat Festival is to bring awareness to the concealed reality of hunger in our local community. Partakers in this event feed and support hungry families by raising money for End Hunger in Calvert County, and have a great time doing it! Boats were filled with families and friends of every color, wearing every color. From red antennas, to pink spray paint, and even to neon green wigs—teams made their best effort to attract spectators’ to their fundraising tent. The boardwalk was full with support and concessions. Although every team was different, they were all there for the same cause; to end hunger in Calvert County!

“The reason we’re here is to help end hunger in Calvert County. There should be no reason why anyone has to go hungry”—says the “Quack Attack” Dragon Boat Crew from Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church “we rode 40 miles up north for this special event!”

In just one year, End Hunger in Calvert County distributed nearly 1 million pounds of food to its 32 Feeding Organizations. In addition the End Culinary Training Program and Electrical Training Program graduate over 80 students a year and get them back to work. Seventy percent of End Hunger Graduates are now working and some for the first time have benefits. This is a fantastic investment in our community so please donate and make a difference if you can!

The annual Dragon Boat Festival is a great way to have fun, grow community, and strengthen team unity.

Chanel M Underwood / Chesapeake Beacon Intern