The College of Nursing and Health Sciences applauds the announcement that the 2018 Dragon Boat Festival raised $55,000 to fund integrative therapies at the University of Vermont Cancer Center. Our “Groovy UV” team proudly paddled and fundraised to support this worthy cause that brings relief and comfort to cancer patients and survivors.

Evidence shows that integrative therapies including exercise, acupuncture, yoga, massage, nutrition and mindfulness help manage side effects of cancer and cancer treatment while improving psychological outlook and quality of life. Dragon Boat Festival funds will help keep integrative therapy services available and accessible to patients.

“The Dragon Boat festival not only raised enough funds to expand integrative therapies in this emerging program at the UVM Cancer Center, but gave visibility that exceeded what we expected,” shared Cara Feldman-Hunt, program manager for UVM Integrative Health, a collaboration among the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Larner College of Medicine and UVM Medical Center. “It’s exciting to see clinical programs come to fruition while educating our students on these practices.”

Hunt worked with Dragonheart Vermont to match the nonprofit’s desire to support cancer patients with a growing need at the hospital for supportive cancer services. “It was wonderful collaborating with like-minded people around such a life-affirming event all with the same goal in mind, to improve the quality of life for cancer patients and survivors,” add Feldman-Hunt, referencing her collaboration with Dragonheart Vermont and the Festival.