Dear Paddlers, Racers, Volunteers and Supporters;

OXFAM FUNDRAISING

Recently the media has been full of news of two major natural disasters. Of course, we speak of the cyclone in Burma / Myanmar, and this week's earthquake in China.

In Burma/Myanmar Cyclone Nargis hit the country on May 2nd, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. High winds, heavy rain and flood water have destroyed homes and livelihoods and left hundreds of thousands of people in urgent need of emergency shelter and basic supplies. Latest official figures suggest that more than 128,000 people lost their lives in this storm making Nargis the world's deadliest cyclone since 1991.

A major earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale jolted Wenchuan County, Aba Prefecture in southwest China's Sichuan Province on May 12, causing staggering destruction. Latest official figures indicate that over 16,000 people are feared dead and tens of thousands are injured or missing.

The world is devastated by these tragedies and we believe that together we can make a difference. As first steps, we are organizing a number of fundraising efforts with funds raised being donated to Oxfam Canada's Emergency Response Fund (Oxfam.ca).


	Dragon Team 1	$0

	Dragon Team 2	$0

	Dragon Team 3	$0

	Dragon Team 4	$0

	Dragon Team 5	$0

There are three activities planned so far:

On Saturday, June 21st, at the Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival site we're featuring a "free concert".

At the concert volunteers with donation buckets will be wandering the crowds and asking you and your friends for your pocket change. Spend a few bucks knowing that you are helping someone who may not even have a pocket and are desperately in need of your help.
A participant pledge program, where paddlers, volunteers and other participants are encouraged to raise funds using a pledge form. All donations will be eligible for a tax receipt. There will be prizes awarded to the top three individual fundraisers. The top fundraiser prize is Two Cathay Pacific Airways tickets Vancouver / Hong Kong return. The top fundraising team will also win next year's race registration to the Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival. There are lots more prizes including wireless phone packages, racing jerseys and festival souvenir jackets, just to name a few.
On-site fundraising booth where visitors can get up to date information on the disaster relief efforts, purchase merchandise, take part in games and be eligible to win prizes.

TAKE ACTION TODAY
How can you get involved?
Volunteering Help organize, plan, administrate, operate or run one of the activities. You can get as involved as little or as much as you have time for.

Fundraising You can download the pledge sheet and then get out there and raise pledges for your participation in the Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival. Open to all participants: paddlers, volunteers, sponsors, guests - ANYONE.

Have fun at the on-site fundraising booth or at the benefit concert. This may mean eating an extra hot-dog at the barbeque, drinking one more icy cold beer at the beer garden, or perhaps encouraging your friends to come to the benefit concert and donating at the gates.

If you want to help, have any ideas, suggestions, prizes or you'd like to donate, please email fundraise@dragonboatbc.ca. Keep checking the society website (dragonboatbc.ca) for more information as well as the pledge sheet and other opportunities as they are developed.

Yours truly,

The Board and Staff of the Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival Society and the Canadian International Dragon Boat Foundation

June 19 & 20, 2010
Rio Tinto Alcan
Dragonboat Festival

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