22nd Annual YMCA Dragon Boat Team Challenge Returns to The Woodlands! EVENT RECAP

THE WOODLANDS, TX –- The annual YMCA Dragon Boat Team Challenge – presented this year by Repsol – is not only a fun community-driven event but also a way for the YMCA to give back to the community and bring awareness to water safety. The events started this past Thursday and proceeded throughout the weekend with corporate teams and high school teams alike competing against each other. The events are designed to focus on teamwork as well as build trust among teammates.

Roxanne Davis is the Community Liaison for The Woodlands Family YMCA at Shadowbend and Branch Crossing, and also lead organizer for this event. She speaks on the support of the community to ensure everyone, no matter age, income or background has the opportunity to learn and grow. The YMCA also wants to bring awareness to water safety with ‘Rowing for a CAUSE’ in which the Y’ provides swimming lessons and parent education in an effort to eliminate drowning.

Saturday was the field events with the corporate teams before they went on the Dragon Boats to race down Lake Woodlands. The field events included dodgeball, human foosball, an obstacle course, and soccer darts. All of these events required teams to come together and accomplish a goal, whether it be to score a goal, not get hit, or even move all your teammates across a course by placing boards on the ground. This was even harder on Saturday because of the rain a day before the events started. The ground was wet but, rain or shine, the games went on.

Following these events, teams got into a boat carved as a dragon and raced down the lake to grab a flag in the quickest time. This is the ultimate test of unity between the teams because all members of the team have to row to get the boat across the lake. They have been doing this for more than twenty years and each time is exhilarating between the past players and newcomers; there are always smiling (but exhausted) faces after each event.

This campaign and event are meant to bring awareness and also to raise money for those less fortunate. But it is more than just the money; it’s about teamwork and bringing the community together for themselves as well as others in need.