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 because of trying to do work the community in terms of kids that English is not their first language,” said Ernie Wong, chair of Chicago Dragon Boat Races. “And so improving their literacy is one of their main focuses… to raise money for the schools to do that.”

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

“CASL has an early childhood program. We offer preschool for 2 years old… and after school for teens, so literacy is why we exist,” said Bonnie Fong, Board Chair of CASL.

ABC7 Chicago is a longtime community partner of the event. ABC7 General Manager John Idler and Vice President of Community Engagement Diana Palomar supported CASL and joined 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.”