2017 Team Bios

The following Teams of Paddlers have committed to joining the

2017 Dutchess Dragon Boat Race!


Habitat Hydro Hawks

Captain: Barb Adams

The heart and soul (and BACKBONE) of Habitat for Humanity of Dutchess County are its volunteers!  The Hydro Hawks team is comprised of Habitat Dutchess volunteers that have made a personal commitment to the vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live. They’re going to put down their hammers and pick up paddles to represent Habitat for Humanity of Dutchess County, and help local families build strength, stability and self-reliance through homeownership. GO HYDRO HAWKS!   www.habitatdutchess.org


St. George’s Dragon Slayers

Captain: Luigi Manente
Sponsor: Archdiocese of NY Office of Young Adult Outreach

We are a team of Catholic young adults, college age to 40 years old, from all over the Archdiocese of New York and the Hudson Valley, who believe in Christ the Way, the Truth and the Life. We strive, and sometimes we fail, to live holy lives but we still know how to have a good time and kick butt dragon boat racing! St. George, pray for us!


Smoke on the Water

Captain: Zen Piatek

We’re one of the original teams taking part in the Dutchess Dragon Boat Festival and we haven’t missed one yet!

This crew is made up of close friends and family straight outta Poughkeepsie and the local surrounding area.  We enjoy having a great time especially when doing so means supporting worthy charities.

We look forward to participating in the festival for the 4th time and paddling away with a medal but most importantly spending a great day with those we love!.

Find us on the web at http://www.idecorp.com and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/idecorp


Dragons Alive

Captain: Sheila Platt

Dragons Alive, Inc. was formed in January, 2012 and is a 501c3 non profit. We currently have over 20 members, both men and women with age span across 5 decades. Our backgrounds are as varied as the talents we bring to our cause: we write books, do research, know the local rivers and waterways, and are proficient with boats and equipment. Several of us have business, public relations, and community organization backgrounds. Most are experienced dragon boat paddlers, two are certified coaches, and several have attended dragon boat training camps. in past years, we have sponsored our own festival to support the Regional Food Bank.

The mission of Dragons Alive is to celebrate life and wellness through the sport of Dragon Boating.

The shared experiences of helping an organization thrive and grow, of participating in community events to promote awareness, raise funds and recruit new team members, and of paddling the boat, all promote a spirit of camaraderie and enthusiasm. We are a regional organization, but we are based in Alplaus at Mohawk Valley Marina.   www.dragonsalive.org


Blazing Paddles

Captains: Dave Lindemann

We are a happy, somewhat crazy but enthusiastic collage of individuals, various in age, locale, background, and Race experience, who started in 2016 with 4 of us first-timers, met and made 13 new friends, had a grand time, and did better than we could have hoped for!

So we are back this year with most of our 2016 team and even more family and friends, and intend to either set the River ablaze with our Blazing Paddles, or to “Burn our boat at both ends”!  Sink or Swim, Win or Lose, either way, we will have fun, and are all united and proud to support our wonderful community, competitors, and our Festival sponsor!


Powered by Abilities First

Captain: Melissa McCoy

This team is sponsored by Abilities First in their generous support of Habitat for Humanity of Dutchess County.

 The Powered by ABILITIES FIRST team is an inclusive team powered by the abilities of what each of us can do individually or as a group/community, to contribute to reaching personal and collective goals and successes.

The AF team includes members from the Abilities First Executive Team, dedicated AF staff, and the folks for whom our mission exists.

It is our strong desire that the community see the Powered by “ABILITIES” FIRST team members demonstrate the ability for what’s possible, and awaken the call-to-action for INCLUSION,  ACCESSIBILITY, and EMPOWEREMENT for an inclusive community and work environment.


Mother Mary Serpent Stompers

Captain: Luigi Manente
Sponsor: Archdiocese of NY Office of Young Adult Outreach

We are a team of Catholic young adults, college age to 40 years old, from all over the Archdiocese of New York and the Hudson Valley, who believe in Christ the Way, the Truth and the Life. We strive, and sometimes we fail, to live holy lives but we still know how to have a good time and kick butt dragon boat racing! St. George, pray for us!


Bump, Set, Spike, PADDLE!

Captain: Stephan Anania

We are a group of Hudson Valley volleyball players who wanted to take our enthusiasm for competition, teamwork, and community service off the court and boldly go where no volleyball team has gone before…onto the Hudson River!  We’ll drop the volleyballs and pick up the paddles to defend the fastest time on the river in the 2016 Dragon Boat Race, and hopefully paddle to a first place finish!  But win or lose, we’ll be raising money to support Habitat for Humanity.  Here is a link to Rooftime, our annual charity volleyball tournament whose contribution to our community is always a “win!”


PVE Paddlers

Captain: Tara Alvarado

This team is sponsored by PVE in their generous support of Habitat for Humanity of Dutchess County.

Bio forthcoming.


Tubby Conquistadors

Captain: Kristen Hendrickson

In accordance with the prophecy,  a one lunged conquistador’s daughter formed a clan of adventurers hell bent on forcing all to drink the miracle covfefe. This clan would become Tubby’s Conquistadors. These conquerors did as they pleased; repeatedly taking home medals from Poseidon.  A motley crew – workers in domestic violence services, plumbers, sultry pool guys, tub resurfacers, baristas, oil men, hoteliers, Jews and Gentiles, smoothie kings and Speech Pathology Queens and hold your ball bearings, Special Education sirens.  After their successful first adventure, old one lung trusted his daughter’s brash ways and joined her every year in attempt to claim the golden chalice. One lung wears two mystical feathers in his hat to determine direction of the wind.  It was prophesized that as long as the feathers stayed put, the crew would be safe from pirates.  Constantly plagued by subpar work ethic, alternative facts and a propensity toward pineapple ladened tonics, this crew nevertheless persisted.  On quiet mornings, through the thick fog, mermaids can be heard whispering the tales of Tubby’s Conquistadors.


 The Vikings

Captains: Don Minichino & Lydia Higginson

We are a band of misfit warriors assembled by the Viking gods to take to the river Hudson in a day of fierce competition – one of courage, strength, endurance, debauchery (and silliness). We come together from villages near and far, cultures familiar and strange, physiques athletic and, um, well, everything really.

We are not perfect. We are undertrained, unorganized and unapologetic. (We are here to pillage. It’s just what we do.) And we’re on a mission to come out on top (and eat a ton of junk food).

We are… THE VIKINGS.


BAXSTARS

Captain: Mike Davis

Coach: Bob Baxter

This team is sponsored by R.L. Baxter Building Corp. in their generous support of Habitat for Humanity of Dutchess County.

This is our 1st year participating in the Dutchess Dragon Boat Festival and we are very excited to row on the Hudson River!

We are proud to be sponsored by R.L. Baxter Building Corp. who is one of the premier construction management and real estate development firms in the Hudson Valley. For over 30 years, Baxter has been redefining what a construction and development company can do. That’s why their tagline is simply Baxter Built.

Our boat is filled with a team of specialized Baxter construction experts with very little experience in rowing but a lot of drive to build a Baxter team spirit.

For more information about Baxter visit our website at http://www.baxterbuilt.com, Facebook at @BaxterBuiltNY Instagram at @r.l.baxter


Scales of Justice

This team is sponsored by Thomas, Drohan, Waxman, Petigrow & Mayle, LLP. in their generous support of Habitat for Humanity of Dutchess County.

Welcome to the Scales of Justice (formerly Amicus Draco)! We are looking forward to participating in our second Dutchess County Dragon Boat Festival. We represent the law firm of Thomas, Drohan, Waxman, Petigrow & Mayle LLP. Our firm represents school districts, colleges & universities, municipalities, and employers throughout the Hudson Valley. Our team is comprised of attorneys, staff, family and friends.  Paddles up!


New Jersey Dragons

Team Dragons is one of the teams associated with New Jersey’s first dragon boat club, New Jersey Dragon Boat Club (NJDBC) which is now in its 18th season.

Team Dragons is a family of friends, co-workers, locals, athletes, old, young, new and seasoned paddlers all looking to strengthen the club through self improvement, practice and training. We work hard to promote the sport we love, through hosting clinics, events, competing, consulting and volunteering.

We look forward to participating in the Dutchess County Dragon Boat Race & River Festival, having lots of fun and making new friends.

Find us at https://www.facebook.com/NJTeamDragons/


 DSL Dragons

Sponsored by: