The community is invited out to cheer on their favorite teams as the South Montgomery County YMCA, Aon HEWITT and The Woodlands Township host the 15th Annual YMCA Dragon Boat Team Challenge. The charity event is scheduled for September 26 – 30, Northshore Park and Lake Woodlands. Admission is free for spectators.

Celebrating 15 years of popularity and rowing, the first Dragon Boat Team Challenge was sold out with 40 teams, 5 brackets and 2 Dragon Boats. This year, the event will be sold out with 112 teams, 7 brackets and 4 Dragon Boats. Recently at the annual Team Captain Meeting, YMCA event staff recognized 8 teams that participated in the First Annual YMCA Dragon Boat Team Challenge and will be participating in the 15th Annual YMCA Dragon Boat Team Challenge. The recognized alumni teams include The Woodlands Township, Aon Hewitt, Woodforest National Bank, Regent Care Clinic, Lone Star College, The Woodlands Development Company, Baker Hughes and Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital.

This unique team building event is designed to build community spirit among corporations, civic groups and community organizations. The activities are designed to bring individuals together to achieve a single goal – To Have Fun! They achieve this by becoming a team and working together as a synchronized unit. It’s much more than “beating the other team.” It is the camaraderie, visiting and playing with old friends, meeting new friends, hard work and feeling good about it. At the YMCA, Everybody Plays and Everybody Wins.

At press time, the event had a few openings for high school teams in the Sunday morning bracket, Sept. 29, 8 a.m. – Noon. All other brackets are sold out.

The Dragon Boat Races are the main event. Dragon boats are forty foot long, extremely colorful dragon headed canoes and weigh over 1800 pounds. In addition to the dragon boat races, each team will have the opportunity to participate in five other fun team-building activities. These activities will vary and will include problem-solving, non-athletic as well as physically challenging. There will be "Something for Everyone" regardless of their fitness level or athletic abilities!

YMCA Dragon Boat is a charity event benefitting YMCA Partners Program. Thanks to our generous sponsors, hundreds and hundreds of at risk youth can participate in YMCA Youth Development and Leadership Programs at no charge. The Y is committed to being available to all regardless of families’ financial resources. Thank you to our community sponsors: Aon Hewitt, The Woodlands Township, CB&I, GE Oil & Gas, Entergy, Repsol, Talisman-Energy, Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital, Apache, Canongate Golf, Chevron Phillips, Cherry Creek Mortgage, Eni Petroleum, Excelerate Energy, Harbor America, Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, McKesson Specialty Health, Newpark Resources, Oxbow Carbon, San Jacinto River Authority, St. Luke’s Lakeside & St. Luke’s The Woodlands Hospital, UFM, Waste Connections and Woodforest National Bank.

More than 110 teams will be participating over the 4 day weekend. Teams will be competing 2- 6 p.m. Thursday and 8 a.m. – Noon and 2 – 6 p.m., Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Come join the fun and laughter, cheer on your favorite team, watch adults having FUN working together as a team and witness dragon boat racing on Lake Woodlands! Admission is Free for spectators but just a reminder there are no special activities available for spectators.

For more information please call 281-367-9622.