Starting in 2011, the CDBS created the Dragon Boat Charity Race to help raise awareness & funds for a selected non-profit organization from the community of Calgary.
Each year, over 100 participants from various sectors, including government, business, and the community, come together to experience the spirit of dragon boating while supporting the chosen charity.
The Calgary Dragon Boat Society, Board of Directors are extremely proud to announce that this year’s Charity Recipient is the “YCC – Youth Centres of Calgary”.
A Safe Space
A Place That Feels Like Home
YCC operates out of welcoming, warm, home-like settings within walking distance of school or home in vulnerable communities.
Every day after school and during the breaks, kids aged 9-15 run to our centre for healthy snacks, a conversation with a university student role model, access to technology, a chance to play a sport, take a free music lesson, read a book in a quiet reading space, and paint a canvass. After a hot dinner, served by a mom, they do a chore and take a cookie for the walk home (most of them to Calgary Housing).
We are open every weekday during after-school hours when youth are most at risk of getting into or causing trouble.
Police and studies show that with safe spaces like ours, crime goes down, high school graduation goes up, kids don’t get into as much trouble, gang membership goes down, and families are supported.
And it works because of the many, incredibly generous, compassionate people in this city who make Youth Centres of Calgary’s safe spaces a reality for many of Calgary’s youth.
It’s All About the Kids
Today, if you walk into the house any day after school and through the summer, you’ll find a happy and boisterous group of youth, practicum students, and volunteers, in a warm and lively atmosphere. We have worked to create a welcoming and happy family vibe in the house, and it is a place where kids feel they have a home away from home.
Youth Centres of Calgary (YCC) is a registered non-profit organization dedicated to providing safe, supportive, and home-like environments for at-risk youth aged 9 to 15 in underserved Calgary communities. Established by compassionate Calgarians, YCC operates after-school and summer programs in neighborhoods like Ogden and Forest Lawn, aiming to offer stability and opportunities that many vulnerable youth lack.
At these centres, youth have access to healthy meals, mentorship from university student role models, sports coaching, music lessons, art supplies, and technology resources. The programs are designed to nurture resilience, self-confidence, and practical skills, helping to break cycles of poverty and social isolation. By providing these services during critical after-school hours, YCC aims to reduce crime rates, improve academic success, and decrease gang involvement among youth.
YCC’s ultimate goal is to expand its reach by opening more centres in other Calgary communities in need, thereby offering more youth the chance to grow and succeed in a supportive environment.
Together, we can paddle towards a future where every cultural stroke is valued and every race towards equality is won.
“At YCC, we have 3 key priorities: 1) meeting the most basic human needs including food security, 2) building a kid’s capacity to break the cycles of poverty and to become healthy, happy, contributing citizens, and 3) building a strong and inclusive community around kids who may not otherwise feel that they belong to one.”
Dragon Marketplace OPENS – 50 vendors – 15 Food Trucks Trico Homes KID”S PLAY Zone
Beer Gardens – Family Friendly by Marda Loop Brewing Co.
Sinopec Charity Zone – Health & Wellness – YCC – Youth Centres of Calgary (Charity Recipient)
10:00am
Main Stage Pan=Asian Performances (Global Fest) 10:00am – Dragon Dance Team – Newland Senior Service Centre 10:30am – Malaysia/Singapore/Brunei Community Starlights Dance Group 11:00am – Northwestern China Community Assoc. of Alberta
10:00am
VIP & Charity Paddler CHECK-IN and Registration @ Information Tent
Main Stage Pan – Asian Performances (Global Fest) 12:00pm – Philippines – Filipino Arts and Culture Society of Alberta 1:00pm – Azerbaijan – Azeri Calgary Stars 1:30pm – Brasil – Brazilian Community Association of Alberta 2:00pm – Northwestern China Community Assoc. of Alberta
Final Race – Albert Wong Memorial Cup Race End of Race Day.
4:00pm
Dragon Boat Race Awards Presentation – Lion Dance Performance by World Pak Mei Hup Ging Do Martial Arts – Race Cup & Metal Presentations – Closing Remarks
5:00pm
Dragon Marketplace – CLOSES
6:30pm
Festival Site Closes
Last Shuttle Bus Run from Festival Site.
Kindly be aware that the event schedule is subject to unforeseen changes. Rest assured, the provided schedule represents the official timetable of the Calgary Dragon Boat Race & Festival, and the information on this page is the most current and accurate schedule provided by the Calgary Dragon Boat Society.
