By Kevin Woodhouse
www.thesuburban.com
With 20 paddlers per boat, 24 teams took part in the ninth annual Fuller Landau Cedars CanSupport ‘Rain or Shine’ Dragon Boat Race and Festival along the Lachine canal this past Sunday to help raise money for people suffering from cancer.
Having had a chance to practice throughout the summer, the teams assembled early Sunday morning on the dreary day with high spirits ready for the 7 a.m. start. Among the 24 teams represented, members of the Royal Canadian Navy’s Reserve unit in Montreal, HMCS Donnacona, took part in the race and were led by Lieutenant Louis-Phillippe Trudel, staff and administration officer.
“Cancer is a sickness that affects people of all ages and backgrounds, it is indiscriminating and unforgiving” explained Trudel. “For me it was particularly important since my mother has benefited greatly from the services of Cedars CanSupport over the past year.”
Trudel and his team enjoyed the camaraderie of people getting together for a common cause as “people for all walks of life organized rowing teams with one goal in mind: raise funds to support an organization that offers invaluable services to cancer patients and survivors.
“The MUHC has great doctors and nurses, but they only treat the medical aspect of any disease. No one in our universal healthcare has the time or the resources to worry about the actual wellbeing of their patients. This is where Cedars comes in. This organization offers services like support groups, subsidized parking, a cup of coffee, books and even free wigs to patients undergoing chemotherapy,” the lieutenant noted.
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