Pink Phoenix: Hope & Joy
First BCP Team in the United States Celebrates 30 Season.
Submitted by Meg Kilmer, 2026 President, Pink Phoenix Dragon Boat Team
In 1997, our founders chose a name that symbolized hope: the pink ribbon of breast cancer awareness and the phoenix rising from the ashes. As Pink Phoenix begins our 30th season on the Willamette River, our hope is renewed and we recommit to our mission - to empower breast cancer survivors through the sport of dragon boating.
We aren’t just celebrating at home in Portland, Oregon - we’re taking the spirit of Pink Phoenix global! To mark this milestone, we are:
Sending two crews to compete in France this August
Racing in nine additional festivals across Canada and the U.S. West Coast
Debuting a new race jersey rich with symbols of the rose city, celebrating Portland’s downtown skyline, many bridges and Kaohsiung-style dragon boats
Pink Phoenix's membership (paddlers and supporters) is 150+ strong and members are guided by a 15-member Board of Directors elected to one-year terms, blending fresh ideas with respect for 29 years of tradition. In this newsletter, we’ll share two of our treasured traditions.
The Gorman Cup welcomes breast cancer survivors from the community and other dragon boat teams for a special exhibition race during Portland’s Rose Festival each June. This tradition began in 1998, a way to remember Michele Gorman, our first captain. Whether our special guests paddle with fire or simply ride along in the embrace of the crew aboard an ornate Kaohsiung boat, their experience is unforgettable - especially when we return to shore, greeted by a cathedral of raised paddles, a paddle arch often far longer than the 500-meter race itself.
In 2015, we launched an on-the-water experience to thank healthcare providers and encourage them to “prescribe Pink Phoenix” to breast cancer survivors and thrivers. Our paddlers invite professionals who have supported their treatment and healing—chemo nurses, oncologists, surgeons, massage therapists, acupuncturists, and more. Our guests wear pink PFDs, receive basic instruction, enjoy a mini-race, and share plenty of laughter during what we now call the Traci Van Dyken Provider Paddle, a tribute to the first captain of this event. Through our USA network and sharing of best practices we are thrilled to share that at least two other USA teams have adopted this event. It serves as an amazing recruiting tool.
As we celebrate 30 seasons, we feel deep gratitude for Dorothy, who conceived the idea of a breast cancer dragon boat team, and the Oregon affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, who helped get our party started. Dorothy was inspired to start a dragon boat team for survivors because of her best friend’s positive experience with a ballet class just for breast cancer survivors. Dorothy likes to joke that she couldn’t manage a pirouette, but she knew paddling and thought it might be beneficial. Dorothy’s 1997 crew could not have imagined the hundreds of women who would follow them down to the river that divides Portland into east and west, united by the joy, strength, and sisterhood found through paddling.
