This year’s 2024 Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival blew fundraising expectations out of the water – with a staggering £35k raised for the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital (CCRH).
A total of 41 teams and over 600 competitors gathered along the riverbank at Fen Ditton for this year's 18th Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival – paddling 30ft Dragon Boats up the river in glorious sunshine.
As well as the races, bankside entertainment brought the crowds in – with lion dances from the Cambridge Chinese Community and family-friendly entertainment provided by sponsors Illumina, with fun activities such as strawberry DNA extraction, dress like a scientist with a walk-through Cambridge DNA history, face painting and flag making.
Donations to the Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust's raffle and hook a duck also helped boost the charity's £14 million public appeal for the new specialist cancer hospital.
The festival, organised by NewWave Events, raised £35,000 and all funds will be used in support of the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital (CCRH). The hospital, which will be built on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus by 2029, will bring together clinical and research expertise in a new, world-class hospital, designed in partnership with staff and patients. It will detect cancer earlier, treat it more precisely, and save more lives.
A special shout out to all the teams who competed to raise money for the new hospital - including Paul's 50th Birthday team who travelled down from Chester to take part and also won the best fancy dress category - as well as to Cambridge 105 for supporting us on the day with live interviews and the Cambridge Independent who were taking photos on the day.
To contact ACT's friendly fundraising team and find out what you can do to support our hospitals, please email: fundraising@act4addenbrookes.org.uk
