By “Doc” Doug Stauffer
The skies looked threatening early in the morning, and the temperatures felt more like winter than spring. Jackets and hoodies were everywhere at sunrise, but by afternoon, the crowds were enjoying sunshine, music, food trucks, and even ice cream along the waterfront. None of the shifting weather dampened the excitement surrounding the 4th Annual Bring Hope Now Dragon Boat Race & Festival, held on May 2 at the newly renovated Fort Walton Beach Landing.
Once again, Team Niceville proved they were among the best on the water, with team captain Mayor Dan Henkel leading the way.
For the second consecutive year, Niceville captured the coveted Mayor’s Cup and led the event’s fundraising efforts. The competition was fierce, with Emerald Coast Okinawa narrowly taking first place overall by less than a second, the day’s closest finish. Still, Niceville’s team left no doubt they remain one of the premier dragon boat teams on the Emerald Coast—and they are already talking about a possible “three-peat” next year.
The Niceville team included community members, city officials, the Niceville Police Department, the Niceville Fire Department, and city staff, all paddling in sync as thousands watched from the shoreline. Dragon boat racing requires twenty paddlers and a drummer who work in perfect rhythm to propel the forty-foot boats across the water. The result is part athletic competition, part teamwork exercise, and part community celebration.
But many people may not realize that the Dragon Boat Festival is about far more than racing.
The event is the largest annual fundraiser for Bring Hope Now, an organization dedicated to reducing suicide among youth and military personnel through education, advocacy, and mental health support programs. This year’s event raised more than $22,000 to support the construction of a youth residential mental health care center in Fort Walton Beach and to support 42 school C.A.R.E. crews throughout the region.
The story behind Bring Hope Now is deeply rooted in the needs of Northwest Florida. In 2019, community leaders David Triana and Peggy Brockman came together after recognizing the alarming rise in youth suicide rates across Okaloosa County and the surrounding region. Their vision grew into a major community effort focused on suicide prevention, peer-to-peer support programs in schools, and military mental health initiatives.
Since becoming an official nonprofit organization in 2023, Bring Hope Now has continued to expand its mission while building partnerships across the Emerald Coast. Today, the Dragon Boat Festival has become one of the organization’s most visible and unifying events.
The atmosphere at the Landing captured that spirit throughout the day. Vendor booths lined the waterfront, raffles and auctions drew crowds together, and teams from businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, and local organizations filled the park with energy and friendly rivalry.
For Niceville, however, the day was another reminder of what can happen when a community rows together toward a common goal. Whether on the water or supporting a cause larger than themselves, Team Niceville once again demonstrated determination, teamwork, and hometown pride.
And after two straight Mayor’s Cup victories, one question was asked as the paddles were packed away: Can Niceville make it three in a row next year?
