The 7th annual Tampa Bay International Dragon Boat Races hits Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park, the Marriott Waterside and waters of Seddon Channel on May 1st, 2010! 55+ teams from local corporate and community groups as well as paddlers from across the U.S. and Canada will vie to be Tampa's #1 Dragon Boat Team! In 2009, the winners were:
1st Place - Tampa Blade Runners Red
2nd Place - TECO Tan Anou Red
3rd Place - TECO Tan Anou Black

This is a race run with exact precision, and professional equipment through the partnership of Great White North and their staff. 500m on the waters of Seddon Channel, with a fully buoyed 5-lane course, where the waters are always calm and the sun always shines the first weekend in May! The event this year will serve as a test-run for the 10th IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championship scheduled for August 2011.

The event kicks off at 8:30 in the morning with the Opening Ceremonies on the Marriott Waterside patio, and the first race at 9 am, with a heat running every 10 minutes. Each team races 3 times throughout the day, being seeded into a division, and then getting the chance to become a Division Champion!

Athletes and spectators alike enjoy food, beverage and entertainment throughout the day in the Athlete's Village at Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park. Asia Fest occurrs simultaneously on the St. Pete Times Forum patio.

We need volunteers for the seventh annual Tampa Bay International Dragon Boat Races. We have lots of jobs available including event set-up and clean-up, registering teams, answering guests' questions, working on the boat docks, etc. You'll have fun and help raise money for the two event beneficiaries: The Florida Aquarium and FACTors Breast Cancer Patient Support Program at Moffitt Cancer Center.

• Group Facilitation: Set-Up Crew: This position is crucial to getting the event off to a good start. Your job in this position is to assist in everything from hanging banners to bringing equipment down to the docks, to carrying heavy loads, to helping team and vendors find their tents in the park, and more. Volunteers in this position must be physically able to do the above mentioned tasks. Dock Marshalls: Their job is to hold the boats and help the teams climb into the boats. They help bail water out of the boats when necessary. We will need 2-3 people working each boat. This is good job for students. To be a Dock Marshall, you must be able-bodied, comfortable in water (and be able to swim.) You must be prepared to deal with the weather - rain or shine. Some Dock Marshall volunteers will coordinate handing out life jackets and paddles to the teams. Boat Marshalling Assistants : Their job is to assist the Head Marshalling Official with checking rosters, ids and wristbands when teams line up to race. They will also assist in calling for teams to come to marshalling in the Park and on the Riverwalk. This job needs volunteers with a commanding voice and who are quick and efficient. Results Runners: They will be stationed at the Finish Line Tent with the race officials. They will transfer the results from the finish line to the results tent. Need to be calm and cool under pressure. You will give the race announcers the results in person or via radio. Volunteer Check-in: Check in and distribute t-shirts to all volunteers for each shift check-in. Explain to new volunteers where they will be working, where the bathrooms are located, etc. Show new volunteers where they need to go. Keep track of all paperwork and make sure all of the release forms are completely filled out. Some volunteers in this position will assist in showing the new arrivals where they will need to report to. Team Registration: For this job, you need to be "early bird" type, ready to go at 7 a.m. as we check in the teams. You must be organized and have good administrative skills. You will match rosters with the legal release forms and hand out wristbands to team captains. Awards: You'll help distribute awards after race results are tabulated. Clean-Up Crew: You'll help us to do a general clean-up of all event areas, including collecting banners and return to sponsors. Pack away materials and merchandise.