More than 1,500 people took to the South Saskatchewan River on Saturday for the 24th annual Saskatoon Dragon Boat Festival. It’s the city’s largest corporate team-building event, and all the funds go to a good cause.

“It’s about strength in numbers and seeing the number of people out here today focusing on the kids,” said Gay Anderson, provincial director of the Children’s Wish Foundation Saskatchewan.

Five-year-old Rhett Sanford is one of the kids benefitting from the race. In April 2015, a farm accident in Shaunavon killed his six-year-old brother Blaine. Rhett broke his neck, jaw and collarbone. He got his strength back with the help of Ronald McDonald House and the Children’s Wish Foundation.

“It was kind of our rock in our storm,” said Rhett’s mother Marion Sanford. “Later on in our hospital stay, our doctors approached us and wanted to nominate Rhett for a wish for everything he had been through.”

Rhett chose a popular destination: Disneyland.

Also on the water, the “Busting with Energy” dragon boat team is made up of breast cancer survivors. Tami Bekolay is one of them, and says the team celebrates exercise as a way to stay healthy.

“It’s very empowering to be with such a great group of women,” she said. “You don’t realize how much you need that support until you get that support.”

The teams are hoping to raise more than $200,000. The money will go to support the Children’s Wish Foundation and Ronald McDonald House charities in Saskatchewan.

Based on a report by CTV Saskatoon's Mark Villani