Paxon Hollow Faculty's Dragon Boat Plans Thwarted

PHILADELPHIA–Saturday's Philadelphia Dragon Boat Race probably didn't run as smoothly as its organizers hoped.

Within 90 minutes of its 8 a.m. start, a strong current capsized several of the dragon boats before toppling a police schooner during the subsequent rescue attempt. This sequence, coupled with the fact that there was a missing dead body in the water from a car accident the previous Thursday, convinced many if not most of the 166 teams that came to row the Schuylkill to withdraw from the competition.

The Paxon Paddlers were among those who put up the white flag. Faced with death, they had a party instead.

"This is our sixth year," said team captain Marybeth Defruscio while she ate barbecue on the packed bank of the mostly empty river. Defruscio is, along with the rest of the Paxon Paddlers, a teacher at .

"I think this is our seventh year," interjected another paddler.

"Our seventh year," said Defruscio. "It's our seventh year."

In each of the last seven years, the 20-man team has used the race as a fundraising vehicle for a specific charity, mostly through 50/50 raffles and private sponsorships.

This year, they rowed for the "Life Savers Fund"—a program for disadvantaged students in the middle school—after raising money in the previous six for the Ronald McDonald House and a former Paxon Hollow teacher who became disabled in an accident.

The idea for the Paxon Paddlers came after Defruscio attended the Dragon Boat Race with a friend and came back smitten. The rest of the faculty took to it immediately.

"We jumped right on board," said Teresa Appleby. "No pun intended."

Since the beginning, the Paddler's training schedule has been rigorous.

"We've practiced three times at the Main Line Health and Fitness Center," said the captain. "Three times this year."

Their training schedule is as rigorous as possible.

Mary Anne Hrin, a music teacher at Paxon Hollow, acts as a sort of coxswain for the team: she watches the pace of the boat's lead rowers, then beats on a drum to communicate that pace to the rest of the vessel. Rowing is, she believes, a good metaphor for teaching. Or maybe the other way around.

"It's about teamwork and cooperation," said Hrin.

"It's about synchronicity," added another Paddler.

Whatever it's about, it would have to wait until next year.

"We're disappointed we didn't get to row," said Defruscio, who added her team's hopes were especially high this year after the last male Paddler, , left the team and allowed them to move into the women's division

"Maybe next year," she shrugged.