Dragon boat festival raises money for the Goodwill Augusta Career Campus

Andrew & Christina Ostrowski had brought a lot of for their team on Saturday. With the hair green dyed & painted face & pink hot tutu, this couple took front seats while paddling for the Georgia Health Sciences University team of dragon boat @ Good Boats festival of dragon boat @ Lake Olmstead for benefiting Goodwill.

Andrew Ostrowski, sat close to his wife @ front of 20-persons boat and he said that his team has got the right spirit. 20 teams had taken to 250-meters course through out day. This event show cased Asian culture in demonstrations of singing, dances, & traditional musical Chinese instruments & tai chi. Gary Tom, who is chair man of cultural committee in the event, said that it was really exciting for seeing this festival come together.

He said that as Chinese person, he has grown hearing regarding the races of dragon boat, but he hasn’t seen one yet. Organizers said that they are looking for fundraiser apart from the typical gala or the golf tournament. They want involvement of community & some raise awareness regarding Goodwill mission. They are thinking that they have come up along with winning idea, as the steady crowds had visited all through out the day.

Jim Stiff, who is president & CEO or chief executive officer at Goodwill Industries in Middle Georgia & CSRA, said that this event had mirrored early work of the Edgar Helms who is founder, and in 1902 he had “church of the nations” & brought together different cultures.

Stiff said that the idea of race is fitting as goal of Goodwill helping “people in the life race for discovering the talents which are God-given.” The money that is raised through the Good Boats will be offered for construction of the Goodwill’s Augusta Campus of Career in Village West Shopping Center at Furys Ferry Road. The staff said that this organization is around $640,000 short of the $6 million money that is needed for finishing this project. 2nd phase of the construction is now under the way. Amongst offerings @ campus, there will be Institute of Helms Career, and it will give culinary classes of arts & is scheduled for opening in October. Stiff says that this institute is now working along with Fanning Institute @ University in Georgia for finding out what the employers will require from the year 2016 to the year 2020 for adding best programs.