DRAGONS Abreast Coffs Coast club members enjoyed the ease of launching their boat from a new lightweight trailer for the first time on Sunday 24 September.

Funding donated to the club by the Pink Silks Perpetual Trust enabled them to purchase a new boat cover and boat trailer making launching their trusty vessel a whole lot more manageable.

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The new boat trailer was specially designed and built to meet the specific needs for launching on the steep boat ramp at Mylestom.

“We paddle for our general fitness and have built up our upper body strength, however getting our boat in and out of the water is still a strenuous exercise,” Club Coordinator Wendy Bennetts told News Of The Area.

“We launch from the boat ramp at Mylestom which is quite steep with the current often making things harder.

“Our new trailer is a lighter weight construction than our previous one and has been specially designed with a tilting tray so that once tilted the boat slips off easily without much effort from us,” she said.

Over the past years, the Dragons Abreast club has been generously supported by the Pink Silks Trust (PST) and in turn the Club members enjoy a fun day assisting at the Pink Silks Trust Charity Race Day in January each year.

“In 2014 the Pink Silk Trust funded the purchase of our dragon boat which holds ten paddlers and our original steel trailer.

“We can’t thank them enough for their support of our Club over the years and for the wonderful work they do to assist women’s health within our community,” said Wendy.

“The donation of the dragon boat in 2014 was a very emotional experience for the Pink Silks Trust also,” said PST chair, Tanya Johnson OAM.

“Our Committee was part of the boat blessing ceremony and witnessed what this funding meant for so many local women who had been on the breast cancer journey.

“The Pink Silks Trust is proud to support women’s health organisations such as Dragons Abreast Coffs Coast and we value the work they do for breast cancer survivors in our area.

“Pink Silks not only help local organisations, like Dragons Abreast Coffs Coast, but work to increase the local awareness throughout all areas of women’s health.

“We endorse the support Dragons Abreast provide to local women and those who may be affected in the future,” said Tanya.

The local Dragons Abreast Coffs Coast club is a member club of Dragons Abreast Australia and is the only breast cancer survivor paddling club between Newcastle and the Tweed.

The Club consists of breast cancer survivors and supporters who paddle regularly on the Bellinger River at Mylestom and also promote camaraderie through social activities and assist other cancer related charities.

For more information about Dragons Abreast Coffs Coast go to www.dragonsabreastcoffscoast or ring 0411 084 917.

To be a beneficiary of Pink Silks Trust, please go to www.pinksilks.com.au or info@pinksilks.com.au.

By Andrea FERRARI