CHICAGO (WLS) — The Chicago Dragon Boat Race for Literacy kicked off its 25th year on Saturday.

The event brought members of the community to Ping Tom Memorial Park to race along the water.

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The tradition dates back over 2,000 years and is a popular sport among Chinese and Asian communities.

Saturday’s event raised money for a good cause.

“This event got started as an effort to contribute to the community, particularly for children whose first language is not English,” stated Ernie Wong, chair of Chicago Dragon Boat Races. “Thus, enhancing their literacy is among their primary goals… to generate funds for the schools to achieve this.”

One of the participants in the boat race was the Chinese American Service League.

“CASL runs an early childhood program. We provide preschool for 2-year-olds… as well as after-school programs for teenagers, so literacy is central to our mission,” explained Bonnie Fong, Board Chair of CASL.

ABC7 Chicago has been a longstanding community partner of the event. ABC7 General Manager John Idler and Vice President of Community Engagement Diana Palomar supported CASL and collaborated with their team.

From newbies to professionals, the race attracts people from all over the community and has remained a staple in Chinatown.

“It’s a great day,” Fong said. “Everyone is together having fun, and brings everyone together, and really a friendly competition for a common cause that we all care about.”