The Sudbury Dragon Boat Festival has been a long-standing summer tradition in the Nickel City.
This July will mark the 18th year that hundreds of paddlers will take to Ramsey Lake for the weekend-long festival.
Festival organizers held their kick-off event on March 25 at the United Steelworkers Hall, and the message was clear heading into this year's event, more participation is needed.
An event that at one time saw more than 100 teams compete over the weekend, had just 45 teams register last year.
"We're hopeful that this is the bottom and that we're going to be on the way up," said Jim Dickson, co-chair of the Sudbury Dragon Boat Festival.
This year will be the first of two where the festival will benefit Maison McCulloch Hospice. Last year's festival raised $71,000 for the Sam Bruno PET Scan Fund. The more teams that register, the more money raised.
"Paddlers gather pledges and that's where the money comes from," said Steve Lee co-chair of the Sudbury Dragon Boat Festival. "We're hoping to have between 50 to 60 teams register this year and raise $100,000."
Participation numbers have been down of late, but Lee is confident that the festival will bounce back.
"All festivals have ups and downs throughout their lifespan," said Lee. "We'll survive it and hopefully bring our numbers back up this year and going forward."
Anyone interested in signing up a team for this year's Dragon Boat Festival can do so at www.sudburydragonboats.com.
