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Some 2009 Team Biographies
Boston Children’s Museum – Eat Wake! - Massachusetts
Team Eat Wake is coming back very excited to see what all other boat crews have done throughout
this year. We are bringing men power and putting all the energy to bring back another 1st place
medal. Team Eat Wake won Division C 2 years ago and has a successful year in 2008. A new fresh
team is reading for action in 2009. Go Eat Wake and BCM!!!!
Cambridge “Aha” Dragons: - Massachusetts
The Department of Psychiatry at the Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) offers extensive clinical,
educational and research opportunities. It is composed of a diverse and vibrant faculty that
has established a standard of excellence in teaching recognized throughout the nation. CHA
provides patient-centered, evidence-based and culturally competent care and is devoted to
improving the health of the communities it serves. The Cambridge “Aha” Dragons led by Christian
Chan (Psychology Trainee, Asian Mental Health), is a team of staff, clinicians and trainees from
a number of programs such as: Victims of Violence, Behavioral Medicine, Haitian Mental Health,
Psychopharmacology and Child Ambulatory Services.
CBCGBDB: - Massachusetts
This is Team CBCGBDB's first time paddling together as a Dragon Boat team. To stay in shape
during the offseason, we play ultimate frisbee and volleyball. Members of our team are also
often seen in Lexington on Sundays at our training facility, CBCGB (cbcgb.org). We are hoping
that a team that prays together stays together!
DCH Racing: - New York
DCH Racing is a competitive dragon boat club founded in 1992. DCH Racing is graciously sponsored
by DCH Auto Group. The club consists of paddlers from age 14-50 with a variety of backgrounds.
They train and strive to be elite. The team loves traveling to regattas and loves food. DCH has
represented the United States at World Championships and in Asia. You can find more info and photos
at www.DCHRacing.com.
Dragon Boat Club of Boston – DBCB - Massachusetts
The Dragon Boat Club of Boston, a mix of competitive and recreational
paddlers, practices several times a week on the Charles River for races all across Northeast USA
and eastern Canada. We are hoping to build on our successes during the past few years and we're
looking for motivated people to help us reach our goals. We're always happy to welcome people with
any level of experience or even complete beginners. So if you're interested in traveling to other
festivals, meeting new teams and giving them a run for their money, we'd love to hear from you.
And if you're not, it's still great exercise and the people are (mostly) cool and outgoing.
Contact: membership@dbcb.org or
president@dbcb.org or visit
www.dbcb.org.
Dragon Boat Club of Boston - HeatWave - Massachusetts
Between discussions about what our new name should be, this competitive women's
Boston Dragon Boat team found time to renew our determination,
hone our crazy ninja skills and reload our arsenal of terrible pirate jokes. Will our Kung-Fu
be strong enough to resist the mongrel hordes from out-of-town and our rivals
from across town? No one knows, but we'll have fun finding out. We're
always looking for new people interested in getting some exercise and
having fun on the river. If this sounds like something you might be
interested in, stop by our tent or swing by a practice. Contact:
membership@dbcb.org or
president@dbcb.org or visit
www.dbcb.org
Dragon Divas: - Massachusetts
Dragon Divas is a group of women from diverse backgrounds who come together to honor the tradition
of Dragon Boat racing and to promote physical activity among women. Many of us are new to dragon boat,
yet we all share enthusiasm and mutually encourage each other to do our best and have a lot of fun.
Dragon Slayers: - Florida
The Dragon Slayers are a competitive Dragon Boat Racing Team that was formed less than 3 years ago
in Miami, FL. Since that time, the team has been a regular participant and medalist in most of the
Florida based Dragon Boat Festivals, including Tampa. The Slayers are still considered a relatively
young team, but in 2008 captured the attention of bigger and older teams as a serious contender for
earning medals. The Dragon Slayers have added new members to its team this season who are skilled
paddlers, possessing enviable strength and endurance. We are a Dragon Boat family whose current
members are high-spirited, hard-working men and women who love the competition and are seriously
dedicated to this sport. Under our Captain, Debbie Schelmety, and the great Coaching skills of
Harry Schelmety, 2009 should indeed prove to be the year that the Miami Dragon Slayers cement their
reputation as not only one of the top teams in Florida, but in the Southeastern United States.
“Practice is your training session, not your workout”
Golden Dragons: - Oregon
The Golden Dragons’ home port is the River Place Marina in Portland, Oregon. The first Golden Dragon
Team was organized in 1996 in order to race in the Portland Rose Festival races. The team was so
captivated by this new sport that they remained together after the races and made the Golden Dragons
a permanent organization. There are presently over 130 Golden Dragons listed on our membership roster.
The Goldens paddle three times a week, year round for fitness and fun. It is believed to be the first
senior (55+) dragon boat team in the world. The average age of the two teams racing in Boston this year
is 70, with our oldest member being 92.
Gotham Thunder:- New York
In our inaugural season, Gotham Thunder is comprised of students, professionals, and enthusiasts from
the metro NYC area looking to promote the sport of dragon boat racing. We have our horizons set for
Boston, Ithaca, Montreal, Princeton, New York City, and Miami this year. Solid competition and great
sportsmanship is what you will find with Gotham Thunder.
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (Mixed Team):- Massachusetts
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, a not-for-profit health plan
headquartered in Wellesley, MA, is a full-service benefits company
serving members throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and
beyond. Our talented and diverse workforce supports our
organization's mission to improve the health of the people we serve
and the health of society. For the fourth consecutive year, Harvard
Pilgrim was named the #1 commercial health plan in America according
to a joint ranking by U.S.News & World Report and the National
Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). We are proud of our
company's positive work environment that attracts and retains
employees through a combination of employee satisfaction, working
conditions and company culture. As a second-time race participant,
the Harvard Pilgrim Team includes members from our Finance, Health
Services, Information Technology, Human Resources and Building
Service departments working together and hoping for a great race.
www.harvardpilgrim.org
IBM: Blue Dragon, Cool Runnin’: - Massachusetts
This is IBM's inaugural dragon boat team comprised of many team members from the software sales group
in New England and Update New York area. We hope this is a start to a long tradition in competing for
the gold in the Boston Dragon Boat festival. We will out prepare, out execute and out paddle the
competition.
Living Root Dragon Boat - Massachusetts
Living Root Dragon Boat is a Boston-based team that probably has more fun than it should dragging two
crates behind the boats. We paddle out of Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and are continually
grateful to them for allowing us to raid the dock and Dunkin' Donuts 3 times a week. We are always
looking for new, smart, talented, or at least new, paddlers. 2009 is going to be a great season -
come on down and join us anytime!
Living Root Dragon Boat – Pathways to China - Massachusetts
Pathways to China is a collaboration between Burlington Public Schools and Malden, Lynn,
Winchester, Weston, Reading, Watertown, Bedford, and Westford Public Schools. Student
participants in 8-12th grade study Chinese history and culture and then travel to China,
visiting schools, historic sites, and collaboratively learn through their experience. Last
year we dominated the youth division at this festival and won many eating contests as well.
We hope to continue this tradition through our partnership with Living Root Dragon Boat.
MathWorks Chinese: - Massachusetts
Our team members consist of Chinese MathWorkers and their family members. We come to the race with
big heart and high spirit, although for most of us this is our first experience. On the job, we
accelerate the pace of engineering and science; off the work, we help promote the ancient Asian culture.
NAAAP: - Massachusetts
The National Association of Asian American Professionals-Boston is a non-profit professional
organization that promotes the career advancement and leadership development of Asian American
professionals in all fields. We make leaders!
National Grid: - Massachusetts
Team "Power of Action" is consisted of National Grid employees from various departments,
including Corporate Communications, Distribution Support, Energy Efficiency, Engineering, and
Field Operation. As a continuous support of the Inclusion and Diversity effort and community
involvement, the team is sponsored by the Asian Leadership Association (ALA). This is our third
time participating in the race. We are proud to be part of the 30th anniversary of the Boston Dragon
Boat Festival with our friends and families.
Ocean State: - Rhode Island
The Ocean State DragonBoat Club is a fledgling team, founded just one year ago. We came together as
a handful of paddlers who participated at the Pawtucket (RI) Dragon Boat Festival on various community
teams. You might say the flame of the dragon was ignited in each of us! We are excited to be taking
our team out of Rhode Island to participate in other Dragon Boat Festivals in the region. See you on
the river!
Netfirms Riptide Dragon Boat Crew - Ontario
Toronto-based Netfirms Riptide Dragon Boat Crew launched way back in 1999. The team includes more than
40 paddlers racing in 2 different boats - one competitive boat, and one developing boat for
newer paddlers. The goal for both crews is to get fit, make friends and have fun - with a
competitive spirit!
Smiths Dragons: - Massachusetts
After one lunchtime paddling training session and three exhilarating sessions on the Charles, 12
Dragon Boat newbies hailing from Norwell, Mass. will be embarking on their maiden voyage. When not
training, our merry band spends their days developing and marketing life saving medical device
technologies around the world. On June 7th – it’s game on.
South Cove Community Health Center – South Cove Stat Dragons - Massachusetts
South Cove Community Health Center (SCCHC), founded in 1972 by a group of volunteers in Boston
Chinatown, had its humble beginning from a storefront on Harrison Avenue. Today we are the premier
Asian community health center in Massachusetts serving over 23,000 patients at our three clinics.
We are dedicated to improving the health and well being of Asian Americans in Massachusetts with a
special focus on the medically underserved. This mission is accomplished by providing high quality,
community based health care which is accessible linguistically and culturally competent for these
populations. This year marks the 6th consecutive year that SCCHC has participated in the race; we
were also a participating team at the 1st Dragon Boat Festival, no fiberglass boats back then!
State Street Corporation, Investment Services – State Street Golden Dragons - Massachusetts
For nearly 15 years, State Street Corporation, an industry leader in financial services, has
proudly sponsored participation in the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival of Boston. This event
helps celebrate both our diversity and support of State Street's commitment to inclusion.
Paddlers come from a cross section of both our operations areas (Global Markets, Securities
Finance and Information Technology to name a few) and a wide range of cultural backgrounds.
Support for the Dragon Boat festival is another way we help strengthen working relations and
build team work and cultural awareness. We are proud to sponsor the 2009 Boston Dragon Boat Festival,
the oldest festival of its kind in N. America.
Sun Life: - Massachusetts
After a successful rookie campaign at the Boston Dragon Boat Race, Sun Life Financial is coming
back with a vengeance. Members of the team consist of employees from all walks of life that work
at the Sun Life Distributors office in Boston. The Asian American Heritage Association of Sun
Life Financial (AAHA of SLF) is one of five Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) at SLF. Each ERG joins
together employees representing one of the diverse communities within Sun Life Financial, to
exchange ideas and establish a connection between others with similar affinities.
The Boat for Kids Who Don’t Paddle Good - Massachusetts
We're pretty sure there's a lot more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good
looking. And we plan on finding out what that is.
Tsinghua Alumni & Friends - Massachusetts
Established in 1976, Tsinghua Alumni Association of The Greater Boston (THAA-Boston) connects
more than 1000 alumni graduated from Tsinghua University in Beijing or National Tsinghua
University in Hsinchu, Taiwan. The mission of THAA-Boston is to get alumni connected,
to help each other to grow and develop professionally, and to give back to alma mater
and local community. The official website of THAA-Boston is
http://www.tsinghua-boston.org/.
Wellness Warriors - Massachusetts
We are a team of cancer survivors and caregivers brought together on a common path. We paddle
together to rebuild our strength and stamina, reinforce our courage, and redefine our lives.
Supported by The Wellness Community-Greater Boston, we strive to win, but focus on the joy,
fun and fellowship of the process. Each week we practice on the Charles River with views of
the setting sun reflected on the Beantown skyline. That spectacular scene is our inspiration,
along with the true grit of our team. We are grateful this year to Mohegan Sun for sponsoring
Wellness Warriors Boat 1.
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