Central Coast Dragon Boat Association Dual Mission

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- To build a community of dragon boat teams for all levels of competition.

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- To empower and support cancer survivors in the sport.

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Charitable Purpose

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Central Coast Dragon Boat Association is a non-profit public benefit corporation organized for charitable, educational, and fostering national and international competition purposes, within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Help us to build our dragon boating community!

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History of CCDBA

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Since 2014, the Central Coast Dragon Boat Association (CCDBA) has operated as an all-volunteer nonprofit organization in Morro Bay, California. CCDBA was founded by a team of cancer survivors, friends, family and community supporters called the Central Coast SurviveOars. The incorporators hoped to expand and promote the international sport of dragon boat racing on the central coast by welcoming new teams and paddlers of all ages and genders.

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Before CCDBA was incorporated, the Central Coast SurviveOars team operated under two different nonprofit organizations (Enhancement, Inc., and Team Survivor Los Angeles). The original team started in 2007 and continues to thrive as the main program of CCDBA.

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In 2024, CCDBA added The Adventurers, a team of Cal Poly State University and Cuesta College students, faculty, staff and alumni. 

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History of our Dragon Boat Fleet

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Donors like YOU have brought dragon boats to the beautiful waters of Morro Bay!

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Dragon Dancer and Rosana’s Ride, 20-person dragon boats, arrived in May 2022, thanks to the generosity of paddlers, friends, and the community. Rosana’s Ride is named for beloved paddler Rosana Ortiz. Puff, a 10-person dragon boat, was purchased in 2018 with a donation from a paddler. We are proud of our current fleet of THREE dragon boats! 

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Boats we miss...Joanna’s Joy was purchased in 2011 with a donation from paddler Joanna Frawley. Unfortunately, the hull took on water, and the boat was retired in 2022. She is now displayed at the Morro Bay Maritime Museum.

The first dragon boat to arrive on the Central Coast was donated by local doctor Thomas Spillane in 2008. After 14 years of fun in Morro Bay, our Champion was sold to Dragon Maxx dragon boat team in Berkeley.

 

CCDBA is grateful to SubSea Tours, our home base, for allowing the first dragon boat team in Morro Bay to practice in their ‘war canoe’. Kevin and his staff are welcoming to paddlers and always keep a watchful eye on the dragon boat fleet!

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History of Breast Cancer Survivors and Dragon Boat Racing

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Breast cancer survivor dragon boat paddling began in 1996 at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, Canada. Doctor Don McKenzie challenged the prevailing medical thinking that breast cancer survivors should avoid rigorous upper body exercise for fear of developing lymphedema, a debilitating side effect of treatment. He chose to do his study using dragon boat paddling, since it is a strenuous, repetitive upper body exercise. He trained 24 breast cancer survivors in the gym and on a dragon boat for 6 months; at the end of the study, none of the volunteers had lymphedema. Also, the women found they were fitter, healthier and happier; the camaraderie and support helped them regain control of their lives. Since the team ‘Abreast In A Boat’ discovered the physical and psycho-social benefits of dragon boating, the cancer survivor dragon boat movement has grown and is celebrated worldwide. According to the International Breast Cancer Paddlers Commission, in 2023 there were 316 breast cancer survivor teams in 37 countries.

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