The One Team One Fight organization will host its crawfish cook-off for St. Charles Parish first responders this year after crawfish shortages and price increases forced the group to cancel last year’s cook-off, according to President of One Team One Fight Natalie Robert Wright.
This year, the non-profit will also move the event to a new location at the Edward A. Dufresne Community Center for the first time in its 8-year history. The event is scheduled for April 12 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Teams can register to compete in the cook-off through March 26. The fee is $250. Wright said there are currently 30 teams registered, and she expects about 50-60 teams to compete.
The event is open to the public, with $25 adult presale tickets and $30 adult door tickets. Tickets for children 6-12 years old are $10. Beverages and beer will be available for purchase. The event will also feature live music by Ryan Foret and a kids’ activity center. This year’s event sponsor is Shell.
“We could not make this event possible without the continued support of our event sponsor,” Wright said.
She said some of the tiered sponsors of the event include Valero, Dow, United Way, St. Charles Printing, Brand Scaffolding, St. Charles Parish Hospital, Event Producers, Birdies and Louie’s Wrecker service.
“We love seeing the public come together to support our first responders,” she said.
Wright said the group outgrew its previous locations at West Bank Bridge Park and Monsanto Park. In 2023, about 3,000 people attended the cook-off. Wright said this year the event could host nearly 5,000 people.
“I’m excited for a bigger venue, a bigger space,” Wright said. “The event brings a lot of camaraderie. It shows [first responders] how much the parish really supports them. They still go out there and do the job even with all the difficulties they face – the pandemic, the storms, the tragedies.”
One Team One Fight consists of members of the parish’s fire departments, Sheriff’s Office, Fraternal Order of Police, hospital’s emergency services and EMS personnel, Wright said.
The cook-off for first responders started as a friendly competition in 2016 among emergency responders and ER staff at the St. Charles Parish Hospital. The following year, Wright created the organization One Team One Fight and turned the cook-off into a fundraiser for first responders in the parish.That first year, the event had eight teams and raised $7,500. In 2023, the cook-off raised $25,000, Wright said.
The money raised at the event supports education, training and equipment for first responders.
“It’s been amazing to watch and see that grow,” she said. “To say now we are even at a bigger location, you can’t even put into words.”
