<em>Photo above: Paddlers tough it out during the Dragonboat Race in downtown Beaufort. Photo by Greg Rawls.</em>

The popular DragonBoat Race Day will be held Saturday, June 24, at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park in Beaufort.

Local community, business and civic teams will paddle against each other for medals.&nbsp;

Dragonboat racing is a flat-water, paddling sport. The challenge in dragonboat racing lies more in synchronization with your fellow paddlers through the entire race than in the paddling technique, although both are important.

The 2016 DragonBoat Race Day drew nearly 700 paddlers, 32 teams and thousands of spectators to the Beaufort seawall.&nbsp;

The event raised thousands of dollars for the organization, which helps support those impacted by cancer in Beaufort County both through the sport of dragonboat racing, and outreach efforts, including one-one-one grants to help with needs that are typically not met through traditional means.

Originating in Southern China over 2,000 years ago, dragonboat racing started gathering interest in the western world in the 1970s.&nbsp;

Today, it is incredibly popular both as a recreational and highly competitive sport and is enjoyed by people of all ages all around the world and is especially popular for community and corporate team building, charitable fundraising events, and for promoting awareness and support for cancer. &nbsp;

Dragonboat racing is governed by the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) and its country members, including the United States Dragon Boat Federation and the regional organization, the SoutheasternRegional Dragonboat Association.&nbsp;

For more information, visit www.dragonboatbeaufort.org.