Dragon Boat Festival plots a charitable course

Director of HKETONY Monica Chen (far right, front row) presides at the October 28 presentation ceremony of US$7,500 to three community organizations.

Three New York City community organizations received US$7,500 in charitable donations on October 28. The money was raised from a charity race held earlier this summer at the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York.

The three race teams and their respective charity recipients are: DCH Auto Group-Students Against Destructive Decisions; HSBC Bank USA-Chinatown YMCA Children's Services; and Shanghai Commercial Bank-Chinese American Association of North Hempstead.

Presiding at the donation ceremony, Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York Monica Chen said, “What started out as a primary vehicle to promote Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York now serves a wider and more enriching purpose — as a benefactor to New York City’s various charities.

“Over the last 19 years, proceeds from the charity race, exceeding US$170,000, has been donated to more than 50 charitable organizations.”

Miss Chen commended the efforts of the festival organizer, in particular Henry Wan and his dedicated team, and the many volunteers in continuing the festival for nearly 20 years. 

“The festival has not only grown in size and become socially significant, it is now a melting pot, whereby citizens in the diverse community of this city embrace each other in an expression of love and care,” she said.

The annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York is the largest multicultural festival in New York and the biggest of its kind in the United States. It has attracted a diverse audience of more than 50,000 attendees from throughout North America. More than 150 well-trained teams involving more than 1,500 participants from across the United States and Canada compete in the various races.