The energy that 20 paddlers produce has to be directed to be effective.

Cindy Schieber, of Fort Dodge, the drummer for the Cargill Corn Rowers dragon boat team spent Saturday doing the “directing” at the annual Badger Lake Dragon Boat Bash.

“I try to keep everything on time,” Schieber said. “I speed it up or slow it down.”

She said keeping the paddlers in sync is important. If they aren’t, they can actually work against each other.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Cindy Schieber, of Fort Dodge, the drummer for the Cargill Corn Rowers dragon boat team, spends a little down time at the Badger Lake Dragon Boat Bash adding stickers to those attending the event.

She’s a 25-year veteran.

“Every year, I have a really good time,” she said. “I’ve made lifelong friends; I love seeing the people. I’ll keep going as long as I can. Anybody can do it, even if it’s physical.”

That doesn’t include her spouse though.

“He won’t get in a boat if it doesn’t have a motor,” she joked.

Maureen Patterson, of Ames, is a nearly two-decade veteran. She’s currently with the “Life Is Bliss” team.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
The tents used by the teams attending the Badger Lake Dragon Boat Bash in John F. Kennedy Park are often decorated with both inspirational and whimsical designs.

“Tom (Donner) recruited me to paddle with the Dragons,” Patterson said.

There are very few people who have not been touched by some type of cancer. Her father died of cancer when she was 13. She’s lost close friends through work.

“You just want to support the people who have cancer and their families,” she said.

Kelly Bower, of St. Paul, Minnesota, a member of the Minnesota Dragon Boat Club, wore a big smile last year as she ran down a row of her fellow paddlers at the 2024 Badger Lake Dragon Boat Bash.

Bower was a paddler, she steered and served on the club’s board.

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Aryana Halverson, of Fort Dodge, paddles with the New Hope team during the Badger Lake Dragon Boat Bash on Saturday at Kennedy Park in Fort Dodge.

Bower died on November 16, 2024, from breast cancer.

Her friend Ayrin Yasis, of St. Paul, and Terry Gavin, of Elk River brought a big print of the picture that shows her smiling in 2024. They took her along on the boat during the mid-morning survivors ceremony.

“She was here last year,” Yasis said.

The pair sat in the boat and quietly remembered their friend, the photograph resting between them.

Each wore a quiet smile.

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Stefanie Koenig and Emily Larson, both of UnityPoint Health, celebrate their last race of the day during the Badger Lake Dragon Boat Bash on Saturday at Kennedy Park in Fort Dodge.

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
The New Co-op Dragon Master dragon boat team, left, and the Cedar River Gang race side by side during the Badger Lake Dragon Boat Bash on Saturday at Kennedy Park.

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
The Cargill dragon boat team takes some time to practice how to properly work as a team during the Badger Lake Dragon Boat Bash on Saturday at Kennedy Park. In front, from left, are Levi Zimmerman of Fort Dodge and Tim Jones of Fort Dodge. Seated behind Zimmerman are Sam Weekly, Matt Hubbard and Jimmy Gunn, all of Fort Dodge.

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Judy Wengryn, of Fort Dodge, reacts after finishing her last race of the day with her team, Flight Angel, during the Badger Lake Dragon Boat Bash on Saturday at Kennedy Park.

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
A group of youth paddlers participate in the Badger Lake Dragon Boat Bash on Saturday at Kennedy Park in Fort Dodge.