By Gabriel Ouzounian
Review Co-Editor
It doesn’t get much bigger for Lake Orion than the annual Dragon on the Lake Festival, but this year a title sponsor is hoping to make it even bigger.
The Orion Art Center (OAC) is proud to announce that McLaren Cancer Institute (MCI) will be the title sponsor of the festival. The two entities will work together to help bring people together and increase cancer awareness.
‘I truly believe that art is a bridge that can bring people together. We are proud to be partnering with MCI to work together to touch people’s lives,? said OAC Director Lauren Dinneweth.
MCI has held a presence at the festival in years past in the way of an art tent and 2012 marks the third year the organization has sponsored Dragon on the Lake. This year, The OAC will feature cancer patients and caregivers at a special exhibit titled ‘Hope and Healing? where artists will share their work and explain to audiences how art has helped them cope with the disease. The event will also occur earlier than the August festival on July 18.
‘We participated in events at the OAC and we believe what they’re doing over there is a good thing,? said Deanna Hart of MCI’s Clarkston office. ‘The healing factor of the art offers a good connection to patients who don’t know how to express themselves.?
The Dragon on the Lake Festival brought together an estimated 15,000 in 2011 and will take place on August 25 and 26. The Dragon Boat races will again take center stage but an added division this year will focus on cancer survivors and their stories.
For more information on the OAC or MCI, visit dragononthelake.com, orionartcenter.org or call 248-693-4986.