With the help of some grass skirts and virgin margaritas, T4G joined a community effort to raise $242,000 in the Saint John Dragon Boat Festival.

The T4Gers who participated in this year’s event were Mark Ryan, Pat Yeomans, Kathryn Keery, Kyle Goguen, Shawn Ingersoll, Patrick Bourgoin, Tammy Boyer, Marta Janes, Scott MacLellan, Matthew McAdam, Kyle Forbes, Matthew Cassidy and Janis Mazerolle.  They were joined by friends and family to make up a 20 person team.

The funds, raised by T4G and the other 43 teams that hit the water on Saturday, August 27, will pay for an advanced spinal operating table and SLT laser at St. Joseph’s Hospital.

“You feel like you’re contributing to something important,” says Mark Ryan about why he and his co-workers decided to try to slay some dragons. “[The effort] turns into a lot of money overall and it’s a big deal for the community. An amount like this in one day is huge.”

On top of raising money for a good cause, T4G’s Dragon Boat Festival team decided to infuse some fun into the fest by branding their rest station with a tiki theme. While other teams set up folding chairs under umbrellas or canopies, T4G set up a tiki hut, wore grass skirts, played Hawaiian music and handed out virgin margaritas. It made for a fun and sunny Saturday.

“After putting all the hours into fundraising beforehand, you get to have a good time on the day of the event. There was a lot of excitement around the T4G station,” says Mark.

Rumour has it this year’s Dragon Boat Festival participants and attendees are already wondering what show T4G will put on next year.