Reporter Qi(Derek) Ying
On May 16, 2026, four student volunteers of AYLUS participated in volunteer service at the 19th San Diego Dragon Boat Festival. This was the first year that the festival officially opened volunteer opportunities to student teams.
Our four volunteers contributed in several important areas throughout the event, including set up, race timing, marshalling, medical station assistance, and post-race boat transportation and lifting. Their dedication and teamwork played an important role in ensuring the smooth operation of the festival.
In particular, the marshalling work received high praise from the event coordinators. Due to strong winds and rough water conditions in the morning, the race schedule was significantly delayed. However, through efficient coordination and organization by the marshalling team, the lost time was completely recovered in the afternoon, allowing all races to finish on schedule as planned.
Volunteer Qi (Derek) Ying arrived at the race venue at 7:00 AM and returned home at 7:00 PM after a full day of service. Volunteers Maxwell Yang and Sam Yu each completed 3 hours of volunteer service, while Qi (Derek) Ying and Charles Liu continued assisting until 6:30 PM, contributing a total of 8 volunteer hours each.
The volunteers demonstrated responsibility, teamwork, and commitment throughout.
