How The Breast Buddies Started

In the year 2000, a member of our community and avid dragon boat racer, Don Verhaeghe, introduced one of Canada's fastest growing water sports, Dragon Boat Racing, to the Wallaceburg Breast Cancer Support Group. Interest was immediate and soon Don agreed to be our coach and trainer Our first challenge was to find 22+ interested breast cancer survivors. To do this we reached out to other Breast Cancer Support Groups in Chatham and Sarnia. They received our dream well and soon we had the required number of committed women. Now, we have women in our group from Sarnia, Chatham, Wallaceburg, Tilbury, Thamesville, Dresden, Sombra, Forest, Petrolia, Oil Springs and London. The women are all breast cancer survivors.

Breast Buddies Mission Statement

We are a group of breast cancer survivors who have taken up the sport of dragon boat racing. Our mission is to promote awareness of a quality of life after a diagnosis of breast cancer. In doing so, we impart hope and empowerment to all with this disease. On or off the water, we are a visible sign to others that there is life after a breast cancer diagnosis.