Thanks to the 2008 Regatta Sponsors! First Colony Lake Pointe Town Center Abreast in a Boat AT&T - APCA Cajun Invasion Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Clear Lake High School (sponsored by 888 Bistro) Communities in School (sponsored by Chase Bank) Lee High School (sponsored by Amegy Bank) Lee High School (sponsored by Chase Bank) Pink Phurree St. John's Middle School (sponsored by PanNext Fittings Corporation) St. John's Upper School (sponsored by Riverstone and Sienna Planatation) West U Baptist Church Yes Prep School (sponsored by Catholic Charities)

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 31, 2005
Caroline Long, President/Executive Director
(832) 687-7208
Eugene Lee, Chairman
(713) 966-5878
www.texasdragonboat.com

For additional photos contact
Annabelle Ruch
akruch@aol.com
(832) 771-7661
Photos available upon request

BAY AREA HOSTS DRAGON BOAT CHAMPIONSHIP

Hosted by the Texas Dragon Boat Association in collaboration with Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership; Bay Area Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau; Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau; Harris County-Houston Sports Authority; and  Sylvia R. Garcia, Harris County Commissioner Precinct Two.
 
BAY AREA HOUSTON, TX – The Texas Dragon Boat Association will hold its 2nd annual Gulf Coast International Dragon Boat Regatta at Clear Lake Park on Saturday and Sunday, October 22-23, 2005. 

The Regatta has been officially sanctioned as the 2005 United States Dragon Boat Federation Central Region Championships & American Dragon Boat Association International Festival.  Dragon boat teams from the Central United States will compete for the Central Region Championship title, and the overall winner will also qualify for the 2006 IDBF Club Crew World Championships in Toronto.  The Regatta will also feature diverse Asian entertainment, arts and crafts, cuisine, and a Kids Zone.
 
The Bay Area Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau, Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Harris County-Houston Sports Authority assisted the Texas Dragon Boat Association in winning its bid to host the Central Region Championships.  "The Texas Dragon B oat Association put together a top notch proposal for the 2005 Central Region Championships and has demonstrated many times its ability to host a wonderful event,” said Ron Hau, Vice President of the American Dragon Boat Association.
 
The Honorable Sylvia R. Garcia, Harris County Commissioner, Precinct Two, and Jim Reinhartsen, President of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, will serve as the 2005 Regatta Honorary Co-Chairs.

“I look forward to hosting another international dragon boat competition in Precinct Two,” said Commissioner Garcia.  “This competition has grown to be truly representative of the spirit and camaraderie that is so evident in Harris County.  While my team did not win last year's race, the Precinct Two team will be ready to compete and win this year."
 
“We are excited the Dragon Boat Regatta is returning to Bay Area Houston,” said Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership President Jim Reinhartsen.  “This international event provides opportunities for business representatives around the world to see the high tech business clusters in Bay Area Houston and enjoy its quality of life, with a significant economic impact on the tourism and entertainment industry.  Also, the community members who have made Bay Area Houston home will enjoy the races!”
 
Visitors will enjoy the Regatta and area attractions, including NASA and Space Center Houston.  “We are proud to welcome this entertaining and culturally rich event to Bay Area Houston,” said Richard Allen, Chair, Bay Area Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau.  “This region has a very international flair because it is home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center and international space exploration. Our location on Galveston Bay along the Gulf Coast allows our community to enjoy many water recreational activities from sailing to fishing to kayaking to rowing.   We are delighted to introduce dragon boat racing to the Bay Area and believe the community’s interest in the sport will promote year round participation.”
 
Dragon boats are elaborately decorated, 47-ft.-long vessels consisting of teams of 20 paddlers, one drummer and one steersman. Corporate, community, police/fire, municipal, breast cancer survivor and youth teams are being actively recruited to participate in races over the two days.  The defending winner of the 2004 Regatta is Nassau Bay.  Teams will compete for industry cups, the Texas Cup, and the overall International Cup, as well as recognition as 2005 Central Region Champions. 

Dragon boat racing began in China around 277 B.C, in honor of Qu Yuan, a beloved scholar and poet during the Ch’u dynasty.  Fallen from the king’s favor, the shamed and devastated Qu Yuan threw himself into the Mi Lo River.  The Ch’u people grieved upon his death and spent many days paddling their fishing boats searching for him, loudly beating their drums.  Unable to find him, they wrapped rice dumplings in bamboo leaves and tossed them into the water to distract the fish from his remains.  Many of these boats were colorfully decorated with dragon heads to scare spirits away; and thus began the tradition of dragon boat racing.

The Texas Dragon Boat Association is a 501(c)(3) Texas non-profit corporation established to promote the tradition and sport of dragon boating, increase awareness of Asian and Asian American culture, and enhance cross-cultural understanding. TDBA organizes the Houston Dragon Boat Festival in downtown Houston each May and the Gulf Coast International Dragon Boat Regatta in Bay Area Houston each October.

The American Dragon Boat Association is a 501(c)(3) volunteer organization dedicated to the promotion of friendship, fun, and education between teams and communities.  Its mission is to promote cultural understanding on a worldwide basis and educate the public to the benefits of working together through the sport of dragon boat racing.

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