Teams race to sign up for the Milton Keynes Dragon Boat Festival!

Posted 11th March 2019

Companies, clubs and organisations from across the region are getting their teams together and signing up to take part in the eagerly anticipated Milton Keynes Dragon Boat Festival which celebrates its 18thanniversary this year. The Dragon Boat Festival takes place at Willen Lake on Sunday 23rdJune in aid of MacIntyre and there’s plenty of time to get a crew together and guarantee a place on the start line.

Each year the Festival attracts a complete mix of new and returning crews. The dragon boats and qualified helms are provided by organisers Gable Events, each team is guaranteed a minimum of three races and no previous experience is needed, just plenty of team spirit. One of the first companies to sign up this year was Kuehne + Nagel who have entered three teams representing their various sites. The Kuehne + Nagel ‘Brinklow Barbarians’ crew will be defending their title having won the event for the first time last year, narrowly beating the ‘Dragondoliers’ from Little Star Media into second place.

Based in Magna Park in Milton Keynes, crew manager Tracey Theobald explains why the Dragon Boat Festival is one of the highlights of the year for Kuehne + Nagel staff and their families. “It’s a great way to bring the workforce together and a tradition as Kuehne & Nagel have entered many boats over the years. Our very loud captain Ady Smith, who you can hear shouting across the lake every year, will be joined by new captain Michael Moyle who got the buzz last time and now wants to win the whole festival! We are hoping to enter one mixed boat as well if we can drum up enough interest from the ladies onsite. The event lifts staff morale, shows teamwork pays off and most importantly raises a lot of money for charity”.

Other early entrants include Gold entries from SMC Pneumatics with two teams, The Paterson Group and Little Star Media plus EDW Technology and Team (EAA Ltd). All crews are encouraged to raise sponsorship for Festival charity MacIntyre, a national charity based in Milton Keynes that supports over 1,200 children, young people and adults who have a learning disability or autism. The top fundraisers for MacIntyre will win the Charity trophy plus a special prize meal, sponsored by Merinvest, at highly rated Melis Restaurant in Central Milton Keynes.

MacIntyre’s Head of Fundraising, Claire Kennedy, adds, “MacIntyre is delighted to again be the official charity for the 2019 Milton Keynes Dragon Boat Festival. Last year’s event was amazing and we’re really looking forward to doing it all again! Every penny raised at this event will be used to benefit people in the Milton Keynes area. The funds raised will support our sports projects which aim to make sport equally accessible for people with a learning disability and other complex needs who want to participate.”

For further information and an entry form visit: www.dragonboatfestivals.co.uk/miltonkeynesor call Gable Events on 01780 470718. For information about MacIntyre, visit www.macintyrecharity.orgor call 01908 230100