Johnson City, TN -- A popular festival and major fundraiser returns this weekend to Johnson City. The dragon boat festival is set for Saturday at Winged Deer Park.

It brings together more than 1,000 volunteers and generates more than $100,000.

Legend links the boats to a ritual to bring rain to farmers in China, Saturday's purpose is to rain money on a good cause. "Each paddler is asked to bring $100 so that's $2,100 per team to the heart coach," according to Patty Bolton of the Mountain States Health Alliance Foundation.

Since the festival started it has drummed up over $400,000 dollars. "Last year it bought a special chair called a kangaroo rocker in each room which is an extra bed or space when families are with the children," says Bolton.

For the past four years the money was used to help build the Niswonger Childrens Hospital, but with the hospital open they are changing gears to start a new program for the whole region.

The money the 48 dragon boat teams raise this year will go toward buying a special truck. It's called the heart coach, a mobile heart screening unit that will travel throughout the region.

"Heart disease is a real problem, we're 48th in the nation in Tennessee and Virginia ranks 36," Bolton says.

The boats are filled will 22 people, a drummer, a professional coach, and the 20 rowers. Professional dragon boater and race day coach Albert McDonald says, "the biggest thing is teamwork, they are flat bottom boats, they don't move on their own."

The event is also a popular with spectators, last year more than 12,000 people attended.

The event starts with a special September 11th opening ceremony at 8:30 AM.

Several vendors and teams will have booths set up along the lakeshore, plus several family activities are also planned.