"Beat Cancer with a Paddle," held last Saturday on the Hillsborough River's Seddon Channel, was the first event of its kind in Tampa, drawing hundreds of kayak and paddlecraft enthusiasts to the river to raise money for cancer research. The weather was absolutely perfect. At 8 a.m., it was a warm 77 degrees and the open sky made for a beautiful view of the river.

Riverfront Park played host to the event, bringing out paddlers of all skill levels. Two runs were made, the first a 5-mile race from Riverfront Park to Marjorie Park and back. The second, a 2-mile family-friendly paddle from Riverfront to the convention center, brought even more paddlers looking to beat cancer with a paddle. All proceeds from sponsors and donations went to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.

Here are more photos I took of the event.

This article appears in Apr 29 – May 5, 2009.