MAYO’S ‘BLUE DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL’ SADLY COMES TO AN END
Written by Ballzer on November 18, 2020
This is sad news for our community. Blue Dragon Boat Festival began in 2013 in La Crosse. The event celebrated breast cancer survivors, raised funds to support breast cancer programs at the Center for Breast Care in La Crosse, and also raised funds for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater La Crosse. The event drew over a thousand participants and over 2,000 spectators, which was fantastic for our community! However, we’re faced with a pandemic that has brought down a beloved event in our city and it’s unfortunate.
Although it’s disappointing, we get it. The amount of hours and volunteer work, and contractual obligations that could cause a loss of money, that go in to this event is too much to invest for something that would most likely be canceled.
Mayo Clinic Health System and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater La Crosse explained, in an official statement, that they have made the difficult decision to discontinue the annual Big Blue Dragon Boat Festival. The statement read, “After being canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the likelihood that it will need to be canceled in 2021, the organizers decided it was best to discontinue the event”.
The statement also said, “Mayo Clinic Health System will continue to staff the behavioral health specialist roles at two La Crosse locations of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater La Crosse. Mayo Clinic Health System Center for Breast Care also will continue to provide a full array of services for patients. The organization plans to find new and meaningful ways to support and celebrate breast cancer survivors”.
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