CHICAGO, IL – Ten thousand people are expected at The 8th Annual Chicago Dragon Boat Race For Literacy. The event is sponsored by American Family Insurance and hosted by the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, July 26th, 2008 at Ping Tom Memorial Park, 300 West 19th Street (19th.Street at Wentworth Avenue), along the south branch of the Chicago River in Chinatown.

This free daylong event kicks off at 8:30 a.m. with an Awakening the Dragon and Lion Dance Opening Ceremony. Emceed by Nesita Kwan, HealthWatch Reporter and health editor of NBC5, the Opening Ceremony will be attended by dignitaries including Ken Dunkin, Illinois State Representative, Daniel Solis, Alderman of 25th Ward, James Balcer, Alderman of 11th Ward, Robert Fioretti, Alderman of 2nd Ward, and Ping Huang, Peoples Republic of China Consul General in Chicago.

Apart from a boating tournament, ethnic food and crafts vendors, musical, dancing and cultural performances, special appearances by members of the touring Cirque Shanghai — Gold, Ronald McDonald, South Paw (Chicago White Sox Mascot), karaoke sessions, and a childrens area will be featured in the event.

“The Dragon Boat Race is a beautiful, colorful, and fun way for all Chicagoans and visitors to enjoy a summer day. We invite everyone to join us for this unusual and exciting event to experience the fascinating Chinese culture,” said Raymond Spaeth, President of the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce. “The Dragon Boat Race is one of our Chambers major events organized in line with our mission of promoting business opportunities and tourism in the Chinatown community. We are proud that the proceeds of this years race will benefit the Chicago Public Schools for its literacy program,” he added.

Twenty eight teams will compete on beautifully decorated dragon boats, each consisting of 20 members: 18 paddlers, one drummer and one flag catcher. The 18 paddlers, each with an oar, row to the beat of the drummer, while the flag catcher of each team pulls the flag off the water at the finish line. Ultimately, the top two winning teams will race for the championship. In addition to the races, it will also be a day of family fun, with food and crafts vendors and a stage with various musical and dance performances.

The Chinese Dragon Boat Race has a history of over 2,000 years and is a popular sport among Chinese American communities all over the nation. This year’s race features 28 teams from corporations such as American Family Insurance, as well as the Chicago 2016 Olympic Committee, the Office of Illinois State Representative Ken Dunkin, the Chicago Police Department and the Chicago Fire Department.

This year’s Dragon Boat Race is presented by the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with the Mayor’s Office of Special Events, the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Marine Heritage Society and the Friends of the Chicago River. The title sponsor this year is American Family Insurance, and event sponsors are Citibank, United Healthcare, Chinatown Parking Corp., Cirque Shanghai — Gold, Comcast, Harris Bank, Jewel-Osco, The Nielsen Company, Pepsi, University of Illinois at Chicago, Wendella Boats & Chicago Water Taxi, Alder Planetarium and Where Magazine. Media partner is SuncasTV.

Visitors are encouraged to take public transportation to the event. Parking will be extremely limited. For enquiries, please contact Susan Ng-Harroun, Executive Director of Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce at 312-326-5320 or susanng@chicagochinatown.org. For information about the Chamber, visit www.chicagochinatown.org.