Catholic Charities’ Dragon Boat races returning to Inner Harbor

Ousa Tran has a key strategy for the upcoming Dragon Boat Races: Be prepared.

Tran will take part in a 16-team competition that will go head-to-head in all-day elimination races to raise funds for Catholic Charities’ human service programs that benefit children and families, seniors, people affected by poverty, immigrants and individuals with intellectual disabilities.

And, of course, the goal is to win the coveted Dragon Cup and bragging rights that come with it.

The races will be held Sept. 9, from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. A festival runs concurrently from noon until 5 p.m. The popular biennial outdoor event was last held in 2018 and was paused during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Preparation is as intense as any team would like it to be,” said Tran, one of the coaches from the Baltimore Dragon Boat Club who has been helping to coach all of the participating teams. “We have teams who are just in it for fun and have a great time paddling and working as a team. The opposite end of the spectrum is the team that says: this is a race and we’re here to win. Preparation for a team with that approach includes structured practices, weekly goals and more than an hour on the water each week. Some teams used to work out together outside of the provided Catholic Charities practices.”

The teams in this year’s race are a mix of construction firms, financial institutions, not-for-profits, schools and the Mayor’s Office. Some local dragon boat clubs may participate in exhibition races as well.

Each team will be placed into heats based on industry and will race in time trials to determine placement into divisions. Once the divisions are set, the teams will race based on the seeding from the time trials.

The more competitive races will be later in the day and in some cases will need to be determined by a photo finish. There have been instances where the difference between first and second place was .006 (six one-thousandths of a second).

Tran, an employee of M&T Bank who will race for his employer’s team, has been active with Catholic Charities and often volunteers for events, so it was an easy decision to participate in the Dragon Races.

“I’ve volunteered in a few current and former programs run by Catholic Charities such as Our Daily Bread, Cherry Hill Senior Center and the Weinberg Housing and Resource Center.” Tran said. “Every time I visit a program, I’m struck by the kindness of the individuals who volunteer/work there and the strength of spirit of the program participants. I see much help is needed and how much of a lifeline Catholic Charities provides, yet at least two to three times a month someone says to me that they want to give back or work to make their community a better place.”

Marcus Madsen, a parishioner of St. Stephen in Bradshaw who serves as chief information officer/technology director for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, is a co-captain of an “Arch Balt” dragon boat team made up of Catholic Center employees and friends. About 75 percent of his team is made up of new paddlers, he said.

“One of our biggest challenges this year has been to equip our team with the skills needed for this sport,” said Madsen, noting that his team began eight weeks of weekly training July 12 at Port Covington Marina. “Dragon boat paddling isn’t your everyday rowing; it’s a test of teamwork, synchronization and technique. We are working diligently to instill these traits in our newbies and polish the skills of our returning paddlers.”

Unlike traditional rowing sports, Madsen ­noted, “dragon boat paddling calls for the use of the core, back lats and legs to twist the body, lean forward and extend our paddles as far as possible, plunging them deep into the murky waters to push as much water as possible past our boat. The goal is to master the perfect form, enabling all 20 paddlers to enter their paddles into the water simultaneously. This helps lift the boat onto the water’s surface, setting us up to glide effortlessly across the harbor.”

Team Arch Balt will partner with Catholic Charities’ Gallagher Services, Madsen said.

In addition to the racing portion, teams will be encouraged to decorate their tent for the day. Teams are being asked to incorporate their partner charity in decorations as a way to bring awareness to individual programs. A chant contest between the teams will be another highlight. Catholic Charities is working on other entertainment and food options to make this a complete family-focused event.

“We wanted this race to be a part of Catholic Charities’ centennial year; to make it a bigger and bolder community celebration in Baltimore City where Catholic Charities began serving those in need 100 years ago,” said Natalia M. Ramirez, Catholic Charities’ director of stewardship and events.

Tran said the race, which debuted in 1998, is “a tremendous opportunity to highlight not only Catholic Charities, but also downtown Baltimore, the Inner Harbor and how our city can come together.” 

George Matysek contributed to this article.

Why Dragon Boats?

Hal Smith, former executive director of Catholic Charities of Baltimore, was inspired to start Dragon Boat races at the Inner Harbor after visiting China and seeing the intricately designed boats there. The first races in Charm City were held in 1998 in honor of Catholic Charities’ 75th anniversary.

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