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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 12, 2007
Contact: Caroline Long, President/Executive Director, TDBA
(832) 687-7208
drquanlong@yahoo.com
www.texasdragonboat.com
Photos available upon request

Texas Dragon Boat Association to Build
City’s First Boathouse Along Buffalo Bayou
Houston Endowment Grant Funds Project

HOUSTON (January 12,  2007) --The Texas Dragon Boat Association (TDBA) is pleased to announce that it has received a grant from Houston Endowment to construct a boathouse along Buffalo Bayou at 501 N. York Street. The boathouse will store the TDBA’s eight dragon boats and will serve as a training/launch site for community-based teams, youth teams and breast cancer survivor teams. Construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2007.

“We supported the project because of the year-round teambuilding, youth boating education and breast cancer survivor programs,” said Ann Hamilton of Houston Endowment.  “Dragon boat racing is a great way at-risk populations can engage in healthy activities on one of Houston’s most historic waterways.”

The boathouse will be built on 10 acres of land owned by the Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP). The TDBA will lease the property from BBP and pay for all construction costs. “We are excited to help the Texas Dragon Boat Association launch its first year-round program right in our own backyard,” said Anne Olson, president of the Buffalo Bayou Partnership. “The boathouse will be the perfect addition to the new hike and bike trails that will wind along the bayou.”

“The addition of the boathouse will be another feather in Houston’s hat,” said Houston City Council Member Adrian Garcia. “It will encourage more Houstonians to take advantage of Buffalo Bayou and provide a great recreational outlet for youth and community groups.”

Dragon boating continues to gain popularity as a fun, teambuilding activity for people of all ages and skill levels. The annual Houston Dragon Boat Festival has grown from just eight teams in 2001 to more than 25 teams in 2006. The 2007 festival will take place Saturday, May 5 at Allen’s Landing.

 “We are extremely grateful to Houston Endowment and the Buffalo Bayou Partnership for helping our organization realize one of our long-time goals,” said TBDA President and Executive Director Caroline Long. “We look forward to launching our community, youth and breast cancer survivor programs and bringing the U.S. National Championships to Houston in the future.”

Texas Dragon Boat Association

The Texas Dragon Boat Association is a 501(c)(3) Texas non-profit corporation established to promote the tradition and sport of dragon boating, increase awareness of Asian and Asian American culture, and enhance cross-cultural understanding. TDBA organizes the Houston Dragon Boat Festival in downtown Houston each May and the Gulf Coast International Dragon Boat Regatta in Bay Area Houston each October.

The American Dragon Boat Association is a volunteer organization dedicated to the promotion of friendship, fun, and education between teams and communities. Its mission is to promote cultural understanding on a worldwide basis and educate the public to the benefits of working together through the sport of dragon boat racing.

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