Philly Group Seeks Funds To Replace Destroyed Dragon Boats
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A racing team in Manayunk is asking for the public's help in replacing six "dragon boats" destroyed by a fall flood.
Remains of some the six dragon boats are still on and around the back deck of the Manayunk Brew Pub, near where they were docked during a destructive storm last September 30th.
Michael Blundetto is president of the Manayunk Dragon Boat Racing Team.
"It was anticipated that there was going to be a swelling in the river," he said on Friday. "But it came so rapidly. By the time we came down here and attempted to move the boats, it was dangerous."
The team wants to replace the six dragon boats, a recent gift from China, replace the dock where they were hitched, and create an exit strategy to get the boats out before a storm next time. Estimated cost: $75,000 to $85,000.
Dragon boats follow a design of Asian ancestry and are paddled, not rowed, with up to 20 team members per boat.
A fundraiser is being held this Saturday night at the Brew Pub on Main Street in Manayunk, or you can donate at ManayunkDBrelief.org.
Reported by Karin Phillips, KYW Newsradio 1060.
