BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT ) — The Birmingham Sailing Club hosted their annual Leukemia Cup Regatta Saturday and Sunday.
The race raises money for cancer research and brings awareness to finding a cure for the disease. Sailors raised over $15,000 this year. The club donated all of the proceeds to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
The race has a history of over 30 years. Although it’s changed over the years, its goal remains the same.
“Out on the racecourse, when someone gets in your way you yell out, ‘Starboard.’ So, I have one word for Leukemia. ‘Starboard,’” remarked Bo Smith.
Smith helped to start the regatta in 1988. The race was originally a fundraiser for a member of the sailing club who was diagnosed with Leukemia.
“He developed it in the fall, and 3 or 4 months later he was dead,” said Smith.
Since the first one, the regatta has spread. At one point, over 80 yacht clubs around the country hosted their own Leukemia cups. The pandemic slowed down the race, but the Birmingham Sailing Club is working to build it back up.