Good times for a good cause: the Leukemia Cup Regatta raises money for blood cancer research and patient services.

Skippers, take note: the kick-off party for this year’s Leukemia Cup is tomorrow night at Elliott Bay Marina.

Representatives from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and past participants will be on hand to answer questions and sign up skippers for the annual event, a fundraiser for cancer research that organizers say is the biggest sailing benefit nationwide.

The kick-off party starts at 6 p.m. tomorrow, April 12, at the Seattle Yacht Club outstation at the marina and will include light appetizers, beer, wine and pop.

Started in 1998, the Leukemia Cup Regatta is held in more than 30 locations throughout the country. The regatta will be held in Seattle on June 11 this year and is the first race of the Downtown Sailing Series out of Elliott Bay Marina. Skippers register their boats and recruit friends, family and colleagues to help crew and raise money. The funds raised are used by the LLS for research and patient services.

Locally, the organization’s Washington/Alaska chapter funds research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington Medical Center. The chapter also offers disease information, support groups and education classes.

Since its inception, the regatta has raised millions of dollars for lifesaving research and patient services.

About Deborah Bach

Deborah Bach is the editor and co-founder of Three Sheets Northwest. She is an avid sailor and long-time professional journalist. You can find Deborah aboard Three Sheets, an Island Packet 38, with her husband Marty and their cat Lily.

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