Bring Hope Dragon Boat Festival & Race – Event Details & Register

Join us for the Bring Hope Dragon Boat Festival & Race and help save lives through youth suicide prevention and mental-health support in Okaloosa County and Northwest Florida. Whether you paddle, form a team, sponsor, volunteer, or donate, you are bringing hope to people who need it most.

How to Participate:


  • Register a Team – Rally friends, family, coworkers, or a community group and race together. Team registration is $1,100 through September 30, 2026, $1,200 from October 1–December 31, 2026, and $1,400 from January 1, 2027 until race day.
  • Join as a Paddler – Want to paddle but don’t have a full team? Sign up as an individual and we’ll help place you with a team or connect you with one that needs paddlers.
  • Donate to a Paddler or Team – Support someone you know, or give to a team or the event as a whole. Every dollar helps us provide education, advocacy, and life‑saving resources.


We are asking each team member to please raise a minimum of $100. That can be as easy as a few friends or family members giving small gifts, and every contribution goes directly toward our suicide prevention and mental health programs.

Event Details

  • Date: 17 April 2027
  • Time: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
  • Location: Ft. Walton Beach Landing Park Downtown
  • Team size: Typically 20 paddlers plus a drummer (we provide the boat, paddles, and life vests).
  • Who can participate: Businesses, churches, schools, civic groups, families, and community teams are all welcome.
  • Why we race: Proceeds support Bring Hope Now’s mission to prevent suicide and promote mental health through education, advocacy, and community support. Funds raised in 2027 will support 45 school C.A.R.E. Crews and help advance a local Youth Crisis Respite & Stabilization Center in Fort Walton Beach—a supportive place where young people can receive timely help, build coping skills, and connect to the next level of care when needed.


Register or Donate Online

Use the embedded secure form below to:

  • Register a new team
  • Join as an individual paddler
  • Donate to a paddler, team, or directly to the event

After you complete your registration or donation, you will receive a confirmation email.

Only Credit and Debit cards may be used when registering from the embeded registration window below.

To use another payment option such as Apple Pay,

click the green button below to open the secure registration and donation form in a new window