For Immediate Release Contact: Vicky Agnew at 843-792-0376 or
agnew@musc.edu Inaugural Charleston Dragon Boat Festival to Benefit Hollings Cancer Center Race Expected to Draw 700 Paddlers from Around the U.S. (Oct. 1, 2007, Charleston, SC) -- The first Charleston Dragon Boat Festival, drawing at least 700 competitive paddlers from around the country next spring, will benefit Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina. This unique race is scheduled for May 3, 2008 at Brittlebank Park. “Hollings Cancer Center is pleased to be the beneficiary of pledges raised from the first Charleston Dragon Boat Festival,” said Andrew S. Kraft, M.D., Director of Hollings Cancer Center. “We established our team, Dragon Boat Charleston, in 2003 as a unique and supportive alternative for cancer survivors, and now the rest of the city will know what an exciting and rewarding sport this is.” There is a growing body of research that supports the benefits of physical activity after a diagnosis of cancer. Physical activity holds numerous benefits for the body and mind, especially for people coping with a serious condition. Hollings Cancer Center recognizes that and is one of the only teams in the country open to men and woman surviving all types of cancer Dragon boat teams consist of 20 paddlers, one drummer to keep the beat of the stroke and one trained steersperson - provided by race management. Paddlers are asked to raise money for the Hollings Cancer Center by setting $100 in pledges as their minimum fundraising goal. The team registration fee includes your team name posted on the Web site, your boating equipment plus two on-water practices with trained coaches prior to the race. To register your team, contact Penny Behling at 1-877-580-RACE. For more information about the Charleston Dragon Boat Festival, visit www.racedragonboats.com. # # # About the Hollings Cancer Center At the Hollings Cancer Center at Medical University of South Carolina, our patients are more than the sum of their symptoms. We call it care of the whole person. We believe that true healing occurs when both the physical and emotional well-being of each and every patient is restored. We provide a continuum of care that extends to every stage of cancer care, from prevention and diagnosis to treatment and counseling. Hollings Cancer Center is a leader in cancer medicine. Our specialized cancer treatment programs, our vast array basic and clinical research activities, our multi-disciplinary approach and patient-focused philosophy are… our contributions to how cancer will be prevented, diagnosed, treated and cured both now and in the future. For more information, please visit hcc.musc.edu. | 
