Sixty-four teams will compete in the annual Lake Champlain Dragonboat festival Sunday, Aug. 6. This Sunday was a chance for some of the teams to get some practice in and learn the basics of dragon boating.

• “It’s working out the kinks, learning how to be a teammate, learning how to paddle all at the same time. The beauty of the sport is it’s not how strong you are, it’s not how athletic you are, it’s how well you can paddle with 20 other people in the boat,” Dragonheart Vermont founder Linda Dyer said.

The fundraiser is hosted each year by Dragonheart Vermont, a breast cancer survivor and supporter dragon boat team.

Each team of 20 raises money before the competition. During the last 12 years, they has raised nearly $2 million used to support those impacted by cancer.

“I’m a 24-year breast cancer survivor so it’s a chance for us to connect with other survivors in the community,” Dyer said. “Our message out there is there is life after cancer and you learn to live each day to the fullest.”

The festival will take place at Waterfront Park in Burlington. It’s free for all to go and watch and races will start every five minutes all day long.

It’s presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont and the money raised goes toward Dragonheart Vermont and Camp Ta-Kum-Ta.