Coronavirus
Dragon Boat races are done in La Crosse
COVID-19 has slain the Dragon Boat Race.
Mayo Clinic in La Crosse has announced that there will be no more Big Blue Dragon Boat Festivals, mainly because of concerns about the pandemic.
The races of long boats began in 2013, and took place for seven years in La Crosse, as a fund-raiser for Mayo’s breast cancer programs.
The summertime event started as a feature of Riverfest on the Mississippi, but later moved to the Black River along Copeland Park.
Organizers cancelled this year’s festival out of fears that boat crews working close together and large crowds could spread the virus.
The same worries still apply now, and Mayo Clinic says it might lose money if contracts to hold the races again in 2021 have to be cancelled.