Dragonboats battle on Birmingham canal and raise thousands for charity

Jun 30 2009 by Christina Savvas, Birmingham Mail

TALK about making a splash!

Hundreds of onlookers gathered to watch as bankers, developers and firemen battled it out on Birmingham’s canals in the city’s annual Dragon Boat Race.

Fifteen teams went head-to-head in the festival, one of Brindleyplace’s biggest and most memorable events of the year.

All proceeds from the race, won by West Midlands Fire Service, went to Barnardo’s.

Brindleyplace spokeswoman Kate Gregson said: “The Dragonboat Festival once again proved to be a roaring success, raising thousands of pounds for charity Barnardo’s.

“The estate’s largest event saw 15 teams racing traditional 40ft long Chinese dragonboats up the Fazeley canal with the winning trophy being awarded to West Midlands Fire Service.

She added: “It was a fantastic event.

The day included a wide range of Chinese themed entertainment and activities and it was great to see so many people cheering on the dragonboat teams and enjoying all of the wider festivities.

“The event combined friendly commercial rivalry with fund raising for a great local cause and we are delighted to once again be making a significant donation to Barnardo’s.”