By Delayna Earley
The Island News
Paddlers will once again descend on downtown Beaufort on Saturday for the 11th annual Dragonboat Race Day.
The event, which is hosted by DragonBoat Beaufort, a nonprofit organization that assists cancer patients who live, work or receive treatment in Beaufort County, will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, June 29, at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park and will end around 3 or 4 p.m., according to the event’s co-director Chris Jones.
Jones said that each of the 30 teams will race three times and the event will culminate with an awards ceremony at the pavilion in Waterfront Park.
Participants in the race should plan to arrive early to prepare for the start of races and opening ceremony and Drummers Parade, which will both begin at 7:10 a.m.
“We provide help with things like rent, utilities and other things that families and individuals who are struggling with cancer wouldn’t get help with otherwise,” Jones said. “Individuals with cancer sometimes cannot work or have little left after paying for medical bills so covering everyday expenses can be hard.”
Of the 30 teams, 20 of them are local teams and 10 are from out of town. Each team consists of 20 paddlers with two recommended alternates and one drummer.
The teams are divided up into four different divisions – Community division, Cancer Survivor division, Seniors division which is reserved for participants over the age of 50 and a Men’s division.
Teams include churches, military members, local businesses, civic clubs, hospitals, schools, among others.
The teams compete for medals and awards given out for Top Fundraising Individual, Top Fundraising Team, Fastest Local Team, Most Money Raised by a Drummer on Race Day, Fastest Overall Team, Best Dressed Drummer, Best Team Spirit, Best Tent Decoration and Best T-Shirt Design.
For a list of the 2024 teams check out www.dragonboat-raceday.com.
Registration is closed for this year’s event, but for future events the DragonBoat Beaufort Race Day is open to anyone who wants to participate.
While the event is fun and empowering for those who participate, it also serves as a fundraiser to support DragonBoat Beaufort’s Cancer Outreach Mission.
The goal this year is $70,000 and according to Jones, as of Tuesday morning the organization has raised more than $65,000.
This year’s festival is presented by Platinum Sponsor Modern Jewelers.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
