Dr. Brunswick Wong’s phone rang often in the years after the last Delta Dragon Boat race on Lake Ferguson in 2016 and the callers often had the same question: “When are the races coming back?”
“People kept asking was it coming back,” Wong said. “People really wanted it back.”
Those original races, organized by Main Street Greenville and in conjunction with the Chinese American Citizens’ Alliance, had become a staple of the summer events in Greenville for the few years they were held. At that time, each group had to have 20 rowers and 20 boats were needed to put on the event. Due to several reasons the event wasn’t able to continue after its original run.
The event is back now, this coming weekend in fact, in a different format and with a different organizing committee.
Instead of a 20-person team there’s only 10 needed per team and a smaller group of individuals are putting on the event.
Wong is the lead on the event and has help from folks like Betty Lynn Cameron and Diane Floyd who have brought in sponsors Farmers Grain, Trans Canada, Guaranty Bank, Oakes Auto, Trop Casino, Mill Supplies and Mississippi Marine.
So far, 22 teams have registered to compete in the race and the event is sold out.
While there isn’t room for another team in the races, there is still plenty to do on the riverfront on Sept. 7 at Lake Ferguson during the event. The races start at 9 a.m. and there will be food and drink for sale from Molly Moo, Where-You-At BBQ and Lavante Shaved Ice.
The event isn’t just a fun day of competition, it’s also a chance to raise funds for three local organizations.
“With the sponsors, we’ll be actually able to make enough money to give some back,” Wong said. The organizations the group has chosen to make donations to are Greenville Youth Soccer Association, Greenville Renaissance Scholars and Camp Looking Glass.
“I just want folks to come out and have a good time,” Wong said. “We need to be appreciative of what we have here.”
Wong said the event is a testament to what motivated people can do.
“No matter how small we are, we can get everything done,” Wong said. “I want to thank the community and all the work they’ve done to help bring this together.”
Teams scheduled to compete are: Hodding Carter Memorial YMCA, Double Quick Team 1, Double Quick Team 2, Mill Supplies, Inc., YaYa’s, Brown Water Bandits, Golden Dragons, Smoking Hot Gators, Greenville Steel Sales, The Pill Crushers, Mars Stars, FGT United, Greenville Renaissance Scholars, The Eye Team, Dragon Our Tails, Row Row Row-Tary, Hauling Gas, Paddles Up, McDonald’s, Extreme Dragons, Camp Looking Glass and Studio S. Awards to be presented are: 1st , 2nd, 3rd overall racing finishers; Team Spirit; and Best Decorated Team Tent.
