Dragon boat racers battle it out in Crawley

Teams of friends and families teamed up to battle it out for the boat race champion title alongside a range of stalls and games, an inflatable activity centre, face painting, super raffle, and a Metrobus activity bus. There was also be a selection of local food vendors onsite and ample parking.

Speaking ahead of the race, Michaela Clements, events fundraiser at St Catherine’s said: “Our Dragon Boat Festival always proves to be a fantastic day for all ages and we can’t wait to return to Tilgate Park.

“We’re really looking forward to welcoming the local community to cheer on our corporate supporters as they race in our Dragon Boats. By coming along on the day, you’ll be helping make sure we can continue to be there to care for terminally ill people in the local community. We hope lots of you will join us for one of our biggest and most exciting events.”

All proceeds from the event will go directly to St Catherine’s who last year, provided expert end of life care to more than 2,000 local people across Sussex and Surrey. The charity says that with less than a third of the hospice’s running costs provided by the NHS, fundraising events like the Dragon Boat Festival are crucial to help the hospice continue to provide its vital care.

Photo by Derek Martin.

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