Walgreens Commits to Title Sponsorship for the Orlando International Dragon Boat Festival
Walgreens becomes title sponsor of the annual Orlando International Dragon Boat Festival held at Walt Disney World Resort.
ORLANDO, FL, May 26, 2011
GWN Dragon Boat announced Tuesday that Walgreens will be the new title sponsor of the annual Orlando International Dragon Boat Festival on October 15, 2011 held at Walt Disney World Resort.Entering its fourth year, this unique event features participants competing in 40-foot long canoes adorned with decorative Chinese dragon heads and tails. Teams consisting of 20 synchronized paddlers, one drummer, and one steersperson, race down a 500-meter course on Lake Buena Vista. Social groups, corporations, and fitness enthusiasts alike embrace the sport of dragon boating because it builds camaraderie, emphasizes teamwork and unity, and promotes a healthy lifestyle.
"We are excited to have an organization such as Walgreens take a leadership role in the event," said Aaron Soroka, Chief Operating Officer, GWN Dragon Boat. "Their focus on the health and wellness of their customers and staff make the sport of dragon boating and this event a perfect fit."
"Dragon boating combines teamwork and physical fitness with centuries old tradition," said Marlin Hutchens, Market Vice President, Walgreens. "We are excited to play a role in promoting healthy living through the sport to our customers as well as the people who work for us."
The Walgreens Orlando International Dragon Boat Festival will be the last stop of the Major League Dragon Boat Series. It attracts recreational and competitive teams from all over North America and has been the catalyst for many new start-up teams in the Orlando area. With help from the Orlando Health Foundation, in partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center Orlando, the number of teams participating at the one-day regatta is expected to surpass 100 this year, making the annual event the largest in the Southeastern United States.
"Dragon boating has proven to be a great physical therapy for breast cancer survivors so it aligns well with our mission and outreach efforts in the community," said Cheryl Collins, vice president, Orlando Health Foundation. "It's a great way to be physically active and support a great cause."
GWN Dragon Boat and Walgreens believe this sponsorship will encourage others to discover the benefits of dragon boating and a healthy lifestyle. For more information or to register a team, visit http://www.gwndragonboat.com.
ABOUT GWN DRAGON BOAT
GWN Dragon Boat is North America's largest full service dragon boat event marketing company producing over 45 festivals annually. Additional activities include training camps, dragon boat equipment sales and corporate events. http://www.gwndragonboat.com.
ABOUT WALGREENS
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2010 sales of $67 billion. The company operates 7,697 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Each day, Walgreens provides nearly 6 million customers the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice in communities across America. Walgreens scope of pharmacy services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and mail service, along with respiratory services. These services improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens subsidiary that is the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the country.
ABOUT MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER ORLANDO
MD Anderson Cancer Center Orlando, part of Orlando Health, is affiliated with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. U.S. News & World Report recently ranked MD Anderson Cancer Center as the top cancer treatment center in the U.S. and has ranked it as one of the top two cancer centers for the past 13 years. Orlando Health, a 1,882-bed community-owned, Florida not-for-profit organization established in 1918, annually serves nearly 2 million Central Florida residents and more than 4,500 international patients. More information is available at mdacco.com.
For Media inquiries, please contact:
Aaron Soroka, 416-962-8899
aaron@gwndragonboat.com
Camilla Chapman, 321-843-1115
Camilla.Chapman@orlandohealth.com