Here Come the Dragons! Posted on 15th February 201815th February 2018 by Gable Events Gong Hey Fat Choy! Here Come the Dragons! To celebrate Chinese New Year, Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) has joined with Gable Events to launch the 14th Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival! The 2018 Festival takes place on Saturday 8th September on the River Cam at Fen Ditton and is one of the largest and most eagerly anticipated team events in the region. Over 40 crews representing companies, organisations, clubs and groups of friends from all over Cambridgeshire and surrounding areas are expected to battle it out over the 200m race course. They will all be seeking to knock Cambridge Medical Robotics (who won the 2017 event at the first time of entering!) off their pedestal as reigning champions whilst also raising vital funds for Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals. Dragon boat racing has an ancient Chinese history and according to the Chinese calendar, 2018 is the year of the Dog. People born in this year are believed to inherit some of the animal’s characteristics and possess the best traits in human nature such as honesty, loyalty, patience, reliability and intelligence. Their industrious nature, faithfulness and strong bond to others augurs well for the teamwork needed to be successful in September! No previous experience is required to take part, just plenty of team spirit so why not take up the challenge? The dragon boats, qualified helms and all racing equipment are provided and each crew is guaranteed a minimum of three races. The Festival offers a full day of fun on land as well as water with plenty of activities on the bankside to entertain teams and spectators between races. The event is supported by Cambridge Edition. The Festival’s official charity is Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust which is the only charity dedicated to making a difference for patients at Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals. Whether its treatment for an emergency, acute condition, pregnancy or long term illness, ACT believe that every patient deserves the highest quality of care available. Their main aim is to continue to support the hospitals by raising funds for cutting edge technology, additional specialist services, vital research and extra comforts for patients that make all the difference over and above what would be possible through NHS funding alone. The team raising the most money for ACT will be awarded the charity trophy and enjoy a fabulous private group cookery evening event of sushi making at Cambridge Cookery, an award-winning cookery school and neighbourhood bistro and café. Carol Lester, Director of Festival organisers, Gable Events, adds: “The Festival is a great chance for companies and organisations to try something completely different, promote themselves to a large local audience, network with local companies and potential clients and raise money for Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust. It is also a fantastic team building opportunity - what better way to get to know what makes your colleagues and competitors tick?! We expect the Festival to be another sell-out success so we recommend teams get their entries in early to guarantee a place.” For further information and an entry form please visit www.dragonboatfestivals.co.uk/cambridge or call Gable Events on 01780 470 718. To find out more about the vital work of Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust please call Emily Willdigg, Events Fundraiser on 01223 349885 or visit www.act4addenbrookes/org.uk
Here come the Dragons! Posted on 15th February 2018 by Gable Events Gong Hey Fat Choy! Here come the Dragons! To celebrate Chinese New Year, Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People has joined with Gable Events to launch the 10th Nottingham Riverside Festival Dragon Boat Challenge! The 2018 Dragon Boat Challenge takes place on Sunday 5th August as part of the annual Riverside Festival and is one of the largest and most eagerly anticipated team events in the region. Up to 50 crews from all over the East Midlands are expected to battle it out over the 200m race course. Dragon boat racing has an ancient Chinese history and according to the Chinese calendar, 2018 is the year of the Dog. People born in this year are believed to inherit some of the animal’s characteristics and possess the best traits in human nature such as honesty, loyalty, patience, reliability and intelligence. Their industrious nature, faithfulness and strong bond to others augurs well for the teamwork needed to be successful in August! No previous experience is required to take part, just plenty of team spirit. The dragon boats, qualified helms and all racing equipment are provided and each crew is guaranteed a minimum of three races. Teams and spectators also benefit from being part of one of the region’s largest family festivals with a bustling fair and vibrant mix of music, dance, crafts and food from around the world, staged by Nottingham City Council. Notts TV and Business Link East Midlands are media partners to the Dragon Boat Challenge. The Challenge’s official charity, Rainbows, is the only children’s hospice in the East Midlands. By taking part in the Dragon Boat Challenge to raise money for Rainbows, you and your crew will have the chance to make a difference to over 380 children and their families from across the East Midlands counties. Tom Stanyard, Corporate Partnership Fundraiser at Rainbows, said, “The Dragon Boat Challenge is an amazing event. With up to 50 companies competing for a number of prizes the day has a great atmosphere. More amazing than the event however is what Rainbows is able to do with the fundraising support we receive from the crews taking part. With only a small amount of guaranteed funding, your support at events like this makes it possible for us to help and care for those families who need it most.” The top fundraisers for Rainbows will win the charity trophy plus a special prize lunch kindly donated by Forty Four Bridgford, an independent cocktail bar and kitchen in Nottingham. For more information and an entry form please call Gable Events on 01780 470718 or visit www.dragonboatfestivals.co.uk/nottingham For information about the services of Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People call Tom Stanyard on 01509 283919 or visit www.rainbows.co.uk
Here come the dragons! Posted on 15th February 201815th February 2018 by Gable Events Kung Hei Fat Choi! – Here come the dragons! Gable Events and Warner Leisure Hotels have joined in the Chinese New Year celebrations this week with the launch of the 12th East Anglian Dragon Boat Festival! This popular annual event returns to Oulton Broad in Lowestoft on Saturday 11th August and up to 40 crews are expected to battle it out in 30’ brightly painted Chinese dragon boats over the 200m race course, watched by a large audience of spectators. The Festival is supported by Lowestoft Journal. An ancient Chinese history Dragon boat racing has an ancient Chinese history, dating back 2,000 years to the Kingdom of Chu, where local fishermen used their paddles to stave off vicious fish in a valiant attempt to save drowning warrior poet Qu Yuan. Their efforts failed and in Hong Kong a Dragon Boat Festival (Tuen Ng) is held annually as a re-enactment of this tragic event. Year of the Dog According to the Chinese calendar, 2018 is the Year of the Dog and people born in this year are believed to inherit some of the animal’s characteristics, possessing the best traits in human nature such as honesty, loyalty, patience, reliability and intelligence. Their industrious nature, faithfulness and strong bond to others augurs well for the teamwork needed to be successful in dragon boat racing! Team building and fun for all This spectacular team event takes place at Oulton Broad, Lowestoft on Saturday 11th August (the Festival has moved from its traditional May date) and is open to everyone. Each crew comprises up to 10 paddlers, a beating drummer at the front of the boat and a steering helm (provided by organisers, Gable Events) at the tail end. The dragon boats and all racing equipment are provided, each team receives three races and no previous experience is required, just plenty of team spirit! The Festival promises a fantastic day for competitors and spectators alike, with catering and bankside entertainment for all the family between races. A great fundraising opportunity The Dragon Boat Festival offers an excellent opportunity to raise money for good causes and at this year’s event, teams are encouraged to raise sponsorship for the charity of their own choosing. Crews opting for the popular gold and silver entry packages, which include a charity donation as well as marketing benefits, can also nominate their favourite charity to benefit from their donation. Festival sponsor The 2018 East Anglian Dragon Boat Festival has the backing of new title sponsor, Warner Leisure Hotels which offers holidays for adults in 13 country and coastal properties around the UK. Their two Suffolk properties, Gunton Hall and Corton Coastal Village, have been entering teams into the Dragon Boat Festival for several years and are looking forward to renewing their rivalry on 11th August! Ian Gyte, Warner Leisure Hotels Operations Director, comments, “The Warner team are excited about representing our two East Anglia hotels, Gunton Hall and Corton Coastal Village, whilst raising vital funds for our partner charity Macmillan Cancer Support. Our guests are brilliant and are always keen on supporting and getting involved in fundraising challenges. It will be a great challenge for everyone involved and we are thrilled to have two Warner teams entered and be the event sponsor”. How to join in For further information and an entry form please visit www.dragonboatfestivals.co.uk/eastanglia or call Gable Events on 01780 470 718. For information about Warner Leisure Hotels, visit www.warnerleisurehotels.co.uk or call 01442 863245.