Title...
Proclamation congratulating Pink Steel for earning second place in the world and first place in the nation at the International Breast Cancer Paddlers' Commission Participatory Dragon Boat Festival in Sarasota, Florida on October 24-26, 2014.
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WHEREAS, dragon boat racing is an ancient Chinese tradition that became associated with breast cancer in 1996 when a Canadian sports medicine specialist, Dr. Don McKenzie, encouraged patients to try the sport to regain upper body strength; and
WHEREAS, Pink Steel is a breast cancer survivor dragon boating team within the Steel City Dragon Boat Association in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, in 2005, Lynne Franks-Meinert founded the Pink Steel dragon boat racing team to honor a friend who died of breast cancer, with the purpose of promoting health, fitness, and overall wellness within the breast cancer survivor community; and
WHEREAS, Pink Steel, based out of the Fox Chapel Yacht Club, competes in regional, national and international competitions; In 2010, Pink Steel won the Gold medal in the U.S. Dragon Boat Federation (USDBF) Club Crew Nationals, and in 2013, Pink Steel earned a Silver medal in the USDBF Club Crew Nationals; and
WHEREAS, Pink Steel participated in the International Breast Cancer Paddlers' Commission (IBCPC) Participatory Dragon Boat Festival in Sarasota, Florida on October 24-26, 2014, where they competed against teams from all over the world including the United States, Canada, Ireland, Australia and Singapore; Pink Steel ranked second place in the World and first place in the United States;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Allegheny County Council does hereby congratulate Pink Steel for earning second place in the world and for earning the title of "Best in the Nation" and we recognize its members for their courage, strength, determination, spirit of adventure and fight against breast cancer.