Dear editor,
When I think of Dragon on the Lake Festival and what a great weekend it was, I feel overwhelmed with pride and gratitude. Something really special happened in Lake Orion last weekend and it is because of many people pouring their belief and support into it. It was fantastic, fabulous, festive and fun – the town is still buzzing a week later and that’s really something!
Gratitude goes out to the executive committee, Sue Turpen (the social goddess of Lake Orion), Lisa Cummins (the Dragon Pub Queen) and James Jenkins (the guy responsible for bringing the Michigan Princess Riverboat to Lake Orion)’they amazed me with their dedication!
Gratitude to the awesome steering committee: Cindy Wheeler (bill payer), Sandy Mabery (Dragon Boat Race Coordinator) Amy Lieblein (kids games), Dianne Goff (chalk art organizer), Rob Cavanagh (lighted dragon float builder), Mac Deuparo (parking coordinator), Patty Campbell (who made the art center sparkle), Paul Zelenek, Mary Brookes, Karrie Roever, Kathy Klein, Don Walker, Sue Willick, Sara Kanter, Deb Lovell, Jim Cummins, Paul Harrison, Dustin, Harrison, Phil Harrison, Jeremy Turpen, Suzanne Perrault, Anthony Reighard of M&B Graphics (for his awesome design work) and the many other volunteers who worked throughout the weekend!
Gratitude to Scott and Cathy Campbell from Orion Marine for hosting the Sponsor Party and leading the kickoff boat parade with the fire breathing dragon, to those who decorated boats and those who came out to watch them, to LOLA for organization, the Lake Orion boat club for hosting the afterglow, to the DPW, Jerry Narsh, Matt Gibb, Mike Martin, Ken Van Portfleit, and all the elected officials who supported us.
Gratitude to all who participated in our inaugural dragon boat races, to the chalk artists, vendors, restaurants, spectators, cheerleaders, Chinese dragon runners, DDA pancake breakfast makers, beertenders, announcers, entertainers and all the other volunteers’and to the 10,000 people who enjoyed the festival’together, we made Dragon on the Lake a roaring success. Thank you!
The Orion Art Center could not have brought Dragon on the Lake to our community without the support of our generous sponsors: Pine Tree Place Assisted Living, Great Lakes Cancer Institute, Waste Management, Oakland County Parks, The Lake Orion Review, Powers Distributing American Legion Post #233, Beaumont Hospitals, ONTV, The Orion Area Parade Group, M&B Graphics, Environmental Wood Solutions, SpringHill Suites, Pee Wee Patch, Fox 2, Lake Orion Community Schools, Lake Orion United Methodist Church, Kiwanis Club of Oxford/Orion, Oxford Bank, Lake Orion DDA, Orion Marine, Richfield Disposal, Best Buy, Home Depot, Lakes Community Credit Union, Winfire Companies, Lake Orion Self Storage, Renewal by Anderson, the Oakland Press, and Academy of Forensic and Dramatic Arts. Thanks to all of you for being a part of Dragon on the Lake 2010.
Please visit the website to view photos at www.dragononthelake.com
Thanks to the entire community for embracing this event and making it a weekend to remember’Mark your calendars for August 26, 27, 2011 and let’s do it all again!!
Reggie Harrison, Director
Orion Art Center