A Dragon Boat race and family day has been hailed a roaring success – raising up to £20,000 for St Elizabeth Hospice.
More than 1,000 people came along to watch the races and enjoy the entertainment at Alton Water, Stutton, on Sunday 15th September.
Nineteen teams from local organisations and companies formed crews to battle it out on the water in the Chinese-style boats.
Among those taking part were teachers from Copleston High School in Ipswich, Richard Jackson Partnership, Orwell Housing Association, Haven Power, Staffa Lodge Dental Group, Vinci Facilities, Ipswich and Suffolk Muslim Council and Framlingham Business Association.
Spectators gathered to witness the action and enjoy the stalls and entertainment, including a bouncy castle, face-painting, barbecue and music from the Westbourne Samba Band.
All crews were asked to raise sponsorship and the event raised an estimated £20,000 for St Elizabeth Hospice, which costs £6.6m a year to provide services free of charge to patients and their families in Suffolk.
The winning team Woolverstone Marina (below) received a trophy and Staffa Lodge Dental Group, which raised the most sponsorship (more than £2,000), will be rewarded with a Chinese banquet at the Golden Dragon restaurant in Cardinal Park, Ipswich.
Download a full set of results and final positions
Results
Final positions
BBC Radio Suffolk supported the event and broadcast live from the scene of the action.
Event organiser Emily Sullivan, of St Elizabeth Hospice, said: “It was a fantastic day, full of thrills and entertainment. We were delighted with the turn out and would like to thank everyone who supported the event, including the crew teams, volunteers, sponsors and spectators. Not all the sponsorship money is in yet but we think it will amount to around £20,000 which is amazing.”
It was St Elizabeth Hospice’s fourth Dragon Boat event, in conjunction with Gable Events, and the fifth is planned for next spring. Details will be announced in due course.