Awaken the Dragons
This ancient Chinese Eye Dotting ceremony, “The Awakening of The Dragons,” features local and visiting dignitaries painting red dots on the eyes of the ceremonial dragon boat figure heads to officially “wake” them up and kick-off the Finger Lakes International Festival Dragon Boat Race season. The event includes traditional colorful lion dance to bless the event, the paddlers and the boats.
2018 Eye Dotters
Fred Bonn, Regional Director for the Finger Lakes Region of New York State Parks
Appointed Regional Director for the Finger Lakes Region of New York State Parks in July, 2013, Fred and his management team oversee 29 facilities across 10 counties. In 2017 Finger Lakes State Parks welcomed over 4 million patrons who enjoyed hiking, swimming, boating and camping in these facilities. The region includes legacy State Parks like Watkins Glen, Taughannock Falls and Robert H. Treman and hidden gems like Lodi Point and Fillmore Glen. Prior to joining New York State Parks Fred served as the Director of the Ithaca/Tompkins County Convention and Visitors Bureau and, currently, he serves on the board of the Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance and the State Theatre of Ithaca.
Fred lives in the Village of Trumansburg with his wife Sara and has two sons Mason and Logan. Ironically his first job, as a teenager, was as a lifeguard here at Taughannock Falls State Park.
Fred lives in the Village of Trumansburg with his wife Sara and has two sons Mason and Logan. Ironically his first job, as a teenager, was as a lifeguard here at Taughannock Falls State Park.
Patricia Charles, Team Manager, POS South East Sea Dragons
Sachem Sam George, Chief of the Cayuga Nations, Bear Clan
He is one of 10 Sachems (chiefs) for the Cayuga Nation, representing the Bear Clan. He was condoled in April 2005. Having grown up on Seneca Nation territory and having learned Seneca language and customs, George took on the responsibility to learn his Cayuga heritage. The Haudenosaunee people are a matriarchal society, his mother was Cayuga, he knew it was important to learn what it meant to be Cayuga. He is taking that knowledge and wisdom and looking forward to the future of his people. Sam George lives in Union Springs, Cayuga Territory.
Liz Klohman, Director, Ithaca Youth Bureau
Arrived in Ithaca in 1980 to attend Ithaca College where she studied Therapeutic Recreation. In 2006 she received her MS in the Management of Recreation and Leisure Services. She began working at the Ithaca Youth Bureau as a student volunteer and went on to hold various positions in the organization. Currently she is the Director. This year the Youth Bureau has filled a boat with friends and staff and is excited to join in the festivities. Liz will be paddling for the first time with her staff.
Dr. Orinthia Montague, President of Tompkins Cortland Community College
President Montague came to Tompkins Cortland with nearly two decades of experience in higher education leadership, most recently as the vice president of student affairs and chief diversity officer at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minnesota. She worked seven years at Normandale Community College, the largest community college within the Minnesota State system. As vice president of student affairs and chief diversity officer, she provided leadership, vision, and outcomes that fostered student access, persistence, and completion. She led college efforts and partnerships that involved public and private secondary schools, as well as community and business collaborations, including a partnership with Bloomington Public School District and Hennepin County to provide direct higher educational opportunities to close the gap for underrepresented populations with a focus on homeless students, foster children, and teen parents. Prior to serving as vice president, Montague was the dean of students at Normandale, where she led the development of a comprehensive tutoring center and initiated the development of a first-year experience course aimed at closing the achievement gap for students in developmental courses.
Kirsten Shades, Coach of POS South East Sea Dragons
She has been dragon boating for the past 9 years. Over those years, she has captained and went on to coach South east sea Dragons. She has represented her country, Trinidad and Tobago as an athlete/paddler on their national dragon boat team for 2 consecutive World Championships in Tampa, Florida in 2011 and Budapest, hungary in 2013. Additionally, she has competed as a paddler at the Pan American Club Crew Championships in Raveena Italy in 2014 with Club Aquaholics and she coached her junior team Sea Dragons in Canada 2015. She has also medalled over 50 times between local and international dragon boat regatta. During these years, she has successfully completed high school (lower and upper) and university of West Indies with a Bachelors degree. Her key to success is balance of work, sport and play, commitment and discipline to the sport over everything. The process toward this Ithaca trip has had many challenges but she intends to explore and experience for her junior team and strongly believe that hard work pays off.
