Waves of Hope Dragon Boat Team: How to Join, Support, or Donate

Waves of Hope is a dragon boat team of breast cancer survivors and supporters based in Manitoba, Canada, serving the Westman and Parkland regions. If you are a breast cancer survivor or a supporter looking to paddle, the team invites you to join. If you would rather give, Waves of Hope is a registered charity, and donations of $20 or more receive a charitable tax receipt. The team also runs a separate fundraising campaign, Hope in Our Backyard, for breast cancer research at Brandon University.

What Waves of Hope Is

Waves of Hope describes itself as a team that celebrates life through dragon boat paddling. Its stated purposes are:

• Raising awareness of breast cancer
• Promoting early detection
• Pursuing better health through fitness, sport, social events, and outreach activities

The team draws members from the Westman and Parkland regions of Manitoba. It is not limited to survivors — supporters are explicitly invited as well.

How to Join the Team

The site's "Join Us" section extends an open invitation to all breast cancer survivors and supporters to join the Waves of Hope dragon boat team. The page does not publish a membership form, fee schedule, or season calendar, so the practical path is to make contact through the team's own site and ask directly about:

• When the next intake or practice period begins
• What a first practice involves and what to bring
• Whether there are any costs or equipment requirements
• Where the team meets in the Westman and Parkland area

Because the published material does not specify meeting times or locations, treat any schedule you see elsewhere as unconfirmed until the team confirms it.

Where Members Meet and Paddle

The site states that Waves of Hope serves the Westman and Parkland regions and that members meet to paddle, but it does not list a specific dock, lake, or practice time. If you need the exact meeting point before committing, ask the team directly rather than relying on a general regional description.

Supporting Without Paddling

You do not have to be on the boat to be part of the effort. The site names sponsors and supporters as part of the team's structure, and outreach activities are listed alongside fitness and sport as core activities. Ways to support include donating, sponsoring, and helping spread the message of early detection.

Donating to Waves of Hope

Waves of Hope is a registered charity. According to the site:

The donation page does not publish a fee breakdown or a list of payment platforms, so check the site's Donate section for the current accepted methods.

The Hope in Our Backyard Campaign

Separate from general team donations, Waves of Hope promotes Hope in Our Backyard, a multi-year fundraising campaign supporting breast cancer research conducted at Brandon University.

Key details as described:

• Lab: Breast Cancer Cell & Molecular Research Lab
• Lead: Dr. Mousumi Majumder
• Operating since: 2023
• Location: Brandon, Manitoba — described as a local lab with national reach and global impact
• Purpose: To keep research running that the campaign says is not being done anywhere else in the world

If your interest is research funding rather than team operations, this is the campaign to direct your support toward.

Quick Reference

• Who it's for: Breast cancer survivors and supporters in Westman and Parkland, Manitoba
• To join: Contact the team through wavesofhope.ca and ask about intake, practices, and meeting locations
• To donate: Use the site's Donate section; $20+ qualifies for a charitable tax receipt
• For research giving: Look for the Hope in Our Backyard campaign supporting the Brandon University lab

The site does not publish pricing, membership fees, or practice schedules, so confirm those details with the team before making plans.