Vesca family tops race

WARDEN - The Warden Lions Club hosted the fifth annual Great Lind-Coulee Raft Race as part of Warden's Community Days over Labor Day weekend.

The race pitted 45 teams against one another in homemade rafts. The teams floated the rafts down the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District's canal.

Lions Club member and East Columbia Basin Irrigation District Water Master Larry Rosenberg stood over the finish line as rafter crossed the final set of rapids and pulled their homemade rafts from the canal.

"We brought in some heavy equipment to build a ramp to help them get out," Rosenberg said.

The race began in the 70s, but was canceled due to the dangers the rafters faced in the canal.

The current configuration of the course is shorter than the races in the 70s and the location of the finish line makes it easier for participants to exit the canal.

"The race used to end at the Lind-Coulee, but it was safer to end it here," Rosenberg said. "We increased the flow to help the rafters,"

Rosenberg said the increased flow helped fill the O'Sullivan Reservoir.

"It's usually filled from the north, but we'll fill it from the Lind-Coulee for a few days," he said.

The Vesca family were the first participants to cross the finish line at this year's race.

For their efforts, Greg, Cody and Carson Vesca were featured in the Warden Community Days Parade on Labor Day.