Dragon Boats Paddlin’ the Red River This Weekend

The Red River Dragon Boat Festival started with just over a dozen teams in its first year.  Now, during this fourth year, there are 30.  And they hit the Red River Saturday morning.

Festival Manager Charlotta Nordyke tells me the Shreveport Fire Department -- which won the first two years -- is back again...and the 2011 victor's sponsor is also sponsoring the firefighters' team.  Out-of-towners Dallas Delight, Houston Heat and Cajun Invasion (from Lafayette)...along with six Barksdale Air Force Base teams are also competing this time around.  

Nordyke says all the money generated from this event is collected by the Shreveport Rotary Club, which then doles it out -- through competitive grants -- to several local non-profits.   She says the event has raised $20,000 to $25,000 every year since the first time it was introduced in Shreveport.

Nordyke says everything's going on at Riverview Park...