Drexel and Saint Joseph's universities were there, but it wasn't the Big 5 Classic. Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and GlaxoSmithKline were there, but it wasn't the back counter at your drugstore.
And Plumbers Union Local 690 and the Philadelphia Police Department were there, but it was nothing like a protest at City Hall.
This was the third annual Philadelphia Dragon Boat Festival, a series of races on the Schuylkill River with proceeds going to the Fox Chase Cancer Center.
Dangerous river conditions courtesy of Hurricane Jeanne's remnants forced the postponement of the festival from Oct. 2 to last Saturday, but that didn't prevent a strong turnout.
Teams of 20 rowers and a drummer to keep the pace raced down the 500-meter course, which usually took two to three minutes to complete. The boats were shaped like long versions of canoes with dragon heads carved into the ends.
But most of the excitement during the event was on dry land.
Tents with school logos and company slogans stretched as far as the eye could see on the east bank of the Schuylkill, two miles north of Boathouse Row.
An abundance of grills, coolers and concessionaires created a carnival-like atmosphere, and all for a good cause.
Fox Chase Cancer Center raised over $143,000 in the 2003 event. This year, the pledges are still rolling in days after the races ended.
Bob Terry, who volunteered at the raffle to benefit the cancer center, was thrilled with the atmosphere.
"I just like all the faces, all the smiles, and everybody coming out to help Fox Chase," Terry said.
Part of the success of the festival stems from the wide range of teams that participated. Apart from the school squads and company boats, there were some teams that overcame a lot just to get to the festival.
"The diversity is incredible," said Philadelphia Dragon Boat Festival Executive Director Carol Lee Lindner. "We have a boat of mentally challenged kids and a boat of [formerly] homeless men."
The latter was from a program set up by The Doe Fund called Ready, Willing and Able, which puts men through a yearlong program to train them for full-time employment and lifetime sobriety.
Jeffrey Stubbs, acting co-director of Ready Willing and Able, said that the team, which formed for the event last year, benefited from the bonding that the competition brought.
While his squad was certainly one of the most animated on the "sideline" and won their first race, they did not emerge from the competition victorious.
That honor went to the Philadelphia Youth Dragon Boat team, which completed the final race in 2:07 to defeat the Philadelphia Police Dragon Boat team. Wyeth Wyverns was third in the Division A final for the fastest teams from the day's early rounds.
But after all the dragon boats were pulled from the water, times and standings meant nothing compared to the unity the competition brought to coworkers and friends.
And that, in turn, didn't even mean a whole lot compared to the six-figure amount raised for the Fox Chase Cancer Center.
