Businesses, clubs and organisations from across the region have been getting their teams together for this year's East Anglian Dragon Boat Festival.
The event will take place at Nicholas Everitt Park in Oulton Broad on Sunday, May 14, in aid of East Coast Hospice.
Now in its 11th year, the festival is supported by The Lowestoft Journal and The Beach - and there's still plenty of time to sign up.
The early festival entrants include Grosvenor Casino of Great Yarmouth, Progress Recruitment Solutions of Norwich, James Fisher Marine Services (gold crew), Associated British Ports (silver crew), Bourne Leisure-Gunton Hall and Lovewell Blake of Lowestoft as well as the team representing festival charity East Coast Hospice.
Corrine Barry, group sales executive at the Lowestoft office of James Fisher Marine Services, said: 'As gold sponsors we have ensured that a sizeable amount of our entry fee is going towards the festival's charity, East Coast Hospice.
'Everything we do at JFMS is a team effort so we felt it was only right that we had a good mix of people entering the dragon boat race too! So far we have directors to engineers, sales personnel and administration employees making up the team.
'We are excited to get involved and are in it to win it!'
At present there are no inpatient hospices in the Waveney and Great Yarmouth area, but East Coast Hospice is working to change this. Having purchased more than seven acres of land near Beacon Park in Gorleston, planning permission has been granted for the 10-bed facility – Margaret Chadd House – with complimentary therapy rooms, day care and a peaceful garden.
The funds raised from the Dragon Boat Festival will go towards 'Raising the Roof' of Margaret Chadd House and giving patients and families the choice of the specialist support they need in a purpose-built facility.
No previous experience is required to take part in the race, and dragon boats, qualified helms and all racing equipment will be provided. Each crew is guaranteed a minimum of three races.
For further information and an entry form visit www.dragonboatfestivals.co.uk/eastanglia or call Gable Events on 01780 470718.
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