The Streetwalkers of Dragon Boat Beaufort
story by mary ellen thompson
photography by susan deloach
When Kathy Haas and Angie Calhoun met on the DragonBoat Beaufort (DBB) team four years ago, they never dreamed they would pair up together as streetwalkers! Angie, the sedate widow who spent much of her life in Beaufort, and Kathy, who moved here from Huntington, Long Island to play golf, might have seemed an unlikely combination to be dressing up in hot pink and strutting their stuff down Bay Street. Yet, that’s where you can find them. That combination of the Southern drawl and the New York accent works wonders in raising money for DBB. They have been rewarded for their efforts with cash, donations, gift certificates, and say they have purchased enough new clothes, jewelry, and calories as a result.
Kathy: “On a fluke in 2015, we decided to try walking down the street, store to store, restaurant to restaurant, talking to business owners about DragonBoat Beaufort. We bought and ate our way through town.”
Angie: “We were amazed at how many people didn’t know about DBB and our outreach program. If you live, work, or are treated (for cancer) in Beaufort County, you are eligible. The outreach program takes up where insurance leaves off. We don’t pay medical bills but we help with all sorts of other things like outpatient care not covered by insurance, transportation to treatments, and special needs such as gas cards, and help with things like electric bills, rent, food. We are the only dragon boat team that has an outreach program.”
In case you are one of those who doesn’t know, DragonBoat found its way to Beaufort not by water, but by the film, Awaken the Dragon, a documentary about the DragonBoat team in Charleston screened at the 2012 Beaufort International Film Festival. Mary Ann Thomas and Clare Taylor sat in the audience and, practically by the time they reached the lobby, the team was born.
Having been an integral part of Water Festival for the past three years, this year DBB will host its own race day on September 2 & 3, over Labor Day weekend. Kathy and Angie are busy drumming up funds, teams, support and just about anything anyone wants to give. Mostly, they want teams; the more people who participate, the more money is raised to give back to the cancer community. Angie and Kathy are both very quick to point out that even though they wear pink, this is not only about breast cancer, it is for all cancer patients, survivors, friends of people with cancer, friends of friends of people with cancer. In other words, everyone. It’s just not possible to believe that there is a single person whose life has not been impacted by cancer. Therefore, we should all participate in some way, however big or small.
Angie was raised in Beaufort. She taught elementary school in SC and then English and reading at the Technical College of the Lowcountry. Angie is a cancer survivor; she will celebrate twenty cancer free years this summer. DBB was brought to her attention when, “I was delivering meals for Mobil Meals and a client told me about DBB, so I went out there and I just loved it! I’ve met people I never would have known otherwise. It takes time and it wasn’t that easy at first. I love the camaraderie and the competition. I used to be a tennis player so I’m competitive. And I love being on the water.” Angie has two sons, Trevor of Hendersonville NC, and Brandon of Greenville SC.
Kathy hails from the north shore of Long Island. She and her husband, Dick, owned property at Rose Hill in Bluffton where they originally came to play golf. “Fifteen years ago, however, we moved to Sun City and a whole group of people either came with us or followed. I had a friend who worked at USCB, she saw Awaken the Dragon and told me about it. I was in treatment at the time; I came to Beaufort by myself on a Saturday morning and I loved it! I had been a training director for Verizon and commuted to Manhattan for hours each day so driving to Beaufort three times a week is easy.” Kathy and Dick have two children and four grandchildren in Connecticut and on Long Island.
How do they prepare for their dragon boat training? They both say, “We prepare to get wet!” Angie works out at the gym and Kathy walks and plays golf. Kathy says, “It’s what keeps us in good shape. Life starts again every day when you’ve had an illness.”
Angie likes to garden, she loves her flowers and has a big yard which she still maintains herself. She reads mysteries and historical fiction and hits the gym three times a week. She also volunteers delivering meals for Mobil Meals, serves on several organizations in the Parish Church of St. Helena, and is on the board of DBB.
Kathy is also on the board of DBB, plays as much golf as she can, loves to cook and entertain and likes to read mysteries. “When I finished chemo and radiation I was as bald as a cue ball. The only effect I have left from the chemo is chemobrain. It’s a real thing. I can read magazines and articles and things on the computer, but reading books, or anything of that length, requires a concentration I sometimes find difficult.”
What has the experience of DBB given each of them?
Angie says, “A feeling of well being. My grandchildren are proud of me.”
Kathy responds, “I like being part of an organization that is doing something for others while you’re having fun. I like being on a team. It’s great, being the age we are, and being able to be on a competitive team. I just wish it had been around longer so I had more time to do it; I love the sport and the competition.”
On a less serious note, they admit that both of them like to shop. And they each have a favorite peanut butter sandwich: Angie likes Vidalia onion and peanut butter while Kathy prefers her peanut butter with bacon and tomato.
Kathy tells a story, “One day we were going to Bluffton to street walk and we stopped in at the clubhouse at Sun City to pick up something. Of course we were wearing our signature hot pink t-shirts, and a man said to us ‘Those shirts are a lot better that the shirts we wear to play golf.’ He’s right, they can see us coming!”
Dragon boating is a sport and cause that circles the globe. Angie explains that when DBB paddles competitively, they put people’s names on their arms as a memorial. Kathy tells about a time when they did a memorial service from the boat, the deceased member’s family wanted to go out on the boat with the team and scatter flowers in the river in her memory. That is much like race day which includes the Carnation Ceremony where everyone can toss a carnation into the river as a tribute to those who have battled cancer.
This is a sport that pierces the hearts of those who both compete and support because of it’s relationship to cancer. Team members sometimes lose the fight, as do family members and friends. Because of the commonality of their situation, bonds are formed quickly between team members. Unlike a regular sports team whose goal is to win the game, this is about winning the fight as well as the race. This is a race against time and the future. So, if you can, form a team, get on a team, donate some money or time to the effort. Stop Kathy and Angie while they are street walking and sporting hot pink t-shirts and tell them you will help. Tell them you’re on their team. At the very least come out to the Waterfront Park on September 2 and 3 to cheer on our team and support the race. Everyone has a dog in the fight against cancer.
