Dragon Boat Festival in central Arkansas to benefit children's center

Watch out. Maumelle's Lake Willastein is about to be invaded by dragons. Dragon boats, that is.

On Saturday, colorful dragon boats will glide over the water, each powered by teams paddling in time to the beat of a drum.

This is the sixth annual Children's Protection Center River Cities Dragon Boat Festival, a weekend of racing that's a bit outside the norm. But don't let the flashy colors and designs fool you.

"It's real racing," says Jennifer Long, executive director of the Children's Protection Center. "It's a real sport."

The party actually starts on Friday with the kickoff celebration. The teams will practice out on the lake, but the focus will be on the shore. Participants are welcome to wander through the decorated tents of Athletes' Village, where teams will grill out and share food in a tailgate-like atmosphere.

There will also be food trucks on hand and Rodney Block will provide musical entertainment.

For children, there will be games and activities in the expanded children's area.

"There will be a lot for kids to do this year," Long says. "There always has been but we're making it way better."

A fireworks show will wrap things up.

Saturday, it's race time.

The races start about 9 a.m. and they run in heats, four boats per heat, with preliminaries, finals and special matches throughout the day.

Dragon boat racing is a Chinese tradition. The boats are 44 feet long and hold 20 paddlers, one drummer and one coach. Most of the teams, Long says, are corporate teams looking for team-building and networking opportunities. Some teams however are community teams and nonprofit or state agencies that work with the Children's Protection Center.

Money is raised through team registration fees and the pledges raised by the individual participants. Last year they had 42 boats and brought in $162,000 and this year's goal is $150,000.

It all goes to the center, which works with local agencies that respond to child abuse.

"We work to minimize the trauma from the investigation and help children heal," Long says.

When a child abuse case is reported, the child is taken to the center for a forensic interview that can be used in court. They also receive physical and mental health care and exams.

Long explains, "The family and child don't have to go to a million different places and talk to a lot of different people, which was what the model was before a center like ours existed. Now they come to one location and get all these services they need in one place."

The center follows the children for months or years, whatever is necessary, and provides mental health and counseling services for the whole family.

"We'll be with them helping them become stable and supportive so their child can feel safe and can heal," Long says. "The investigation is what a lot of people focus on, but our mission is about the overall health and well-being of a child."

From Long's perspective, the festival is a fun time, but also a celebration of the work various groups do in the community, coming together to fight child abuse. Much like the 20 team members paddling together to a beat.

"We're the only agency that does what we do in Pulaski County," Long says. "What Dragon Boat really does is talk about the community that it takes to do this."

Weekend on 06/14/2018