The Pink Dragon Ladies

NEWS RELEASE

Tampa, Florida

October 1, 2008

The Pink Dragon Ladies, Florida’s first cancer survivor dragon boat team, announced today the inauguration of The Carol Lee Cup Challenge.  Female cancer survivor dragon boat teams will vie for The Carol Lee Cup at the Tampa Bay International Dragon Boat Race Festival on May 2, 2009.  Named in honor of Carol Lee Banks, the team’s first Fundraising Chairwoman, the Carol Lee Cup is a perpetual trophy that will be awarded to the winners of the Cancer Survivor Race Division each year.  This trophy will reward the team with the best teamwork, most dedication, and the strongest desire to win – qualities exemplified by Banks.

“Carol Lee excels in the boat and in her leadership roles,” said Liz O’Connell, past president of the team.  “She has been a dedicated and popular assistant coach, mentor, and role model in the boat and a creative, hard working, and successful team leader.  But more important than these, Carol Lee has been a friend and inspiration to us all.”

In her fundraising capacity, Banks brought in the team’s first grant and led a variety of fundraising efforts that allowed the Team to travel to Windsor, Canada last July to race in the annual international breast cancer survivor race festival.  In addition, Banks (a former Girls Scout leader) inaugurated the popular “Dragon Scout” program which introduces Girls Scouts to dragonboating.

“We are excited to add the Carol Lee Cup Challenge to our race festival,” said Christine Canevari, executive director of the Tampa Bay International Dragon Boat Races.  “Carol Lee has been a driving force in the dragon boat community, and we are delighted to be able to honor her in this way!”

The award is sponsored by Kathryn Kepes, MD, a local oncologist/philanthropist who has been a generous supporter of the Pink Dragon Ladies since 2005.  That year Kepes and Rand Altemose, MD, teamed up to help the team purchase its own dragon boat, the “Dragon Lady.” Kepes and her friends can been seen at most races cheering on the sidelines for the “Pinks.”

The Pink Dragon Ladies dragon boat team was formed in November 2004 and incorporated under the name Team Survivor Tampa Bay as a 501 (c) 3, not-for-profit, corporation a year later.  The team provides “sport and support for women with cancer,” and welcomes women living with any type of cancer to participate in dragon boat racing, sprint triathlons and other physical activities sponsored by the team.