TeamCITGO Wins CMN Dragon Boat Race for Fifth Year in a Row

Lake Charles, La. — May 24, 2017 — At the fifth Annual Dragon Boat Race on April 22, TeamCITGO paddlers competed against 28 other teams and raced to victory for the fifth year in a row.

The races hosted by the CHRISTUS St. Patrick Foundation as a fundraiser for the Children's Miracle Network at CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital allows teams to compete in 20-man dragon boats in Lake Charles. TeamCITGO formerly won all four annual races and were "in it to win it" again this year. CITGO Vice President and General Manager Tomeu Vadell said TeamCITGO paddlers take the competition seriously but also have fun preparing. "We are proud of our TeamCITGO volunteers for pursuing excellence in everything they do, from running our refinery safely to competing in the Dragon Boat races, they work and play as a team. CITGO and TeamCITGO have supported the Children's Miracle Network for 30 years and we are privileged to continue this great tradition by participating in the Dragon Boat Race," Vadell said.

In addition to entering a team in the race, TeamCITGO volunteers also sold T-shirts as an additional fundraiser for the Children's Miracle Network, raising $1,000 for the organization. TeamCITGO volunteers also served as deck hands at the event assisting teams in getting in and out of boats safely.

"CITGO really approaches this race with such spirit and professionalism," said Kay Barnett, Executive Director of Development for CHRISTUS St. Patrick Foundation. "CITGO has taken this event to the next level. It means a great deal to us that they have such a strong commitment to our CMN program and to this event," Barnett said.

"CITGO raises the bar every year. This year the competition was really stiff and they still managed to come out on top," said Cara Wyland, Children's Miracle Network Director at CHRISTUS St. Patrick Foundation. "We are very proud of CITGO's leadership in this event."

About TeamCITGO
TeamCITGO celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. As the first employee led industrial volunteer group in the area, TeamCITGO continues to model the characteristics that make Southwest Louisiana a great place to call home. Volunteers average 4,000 hours of community service annually in Southwest Louisiana.

About the Dragon Boat Race
CHRISTUS St. Patrick Foundation's fifth annual Dragon Boat Race, held on April 22, benefits the Children's Miracle Network program at CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital.  The funds raised are used to purchase state-of-the-art pediatric surgical and treatment equipment at the Hospital as well as provide support for several school-based initiatives in our community, including expanding Automated External Defibrillator (AED) donations to Jeff Davis and Allen Parishes for the first time ever and helping to fund GoNoodle (an on-line, in-classroom tool that has students moving and grooving and getting better grades) in Calcasieu and Jeff Davis parishes.