Beanies are in!!

That's right - the beanie hats are in and available for order! They aren't the same color as the t-shirts, but still look great. They are a darker, navy blue and the logo that is on the back of all the t-shirts is pretty much what's on the front of the beanie. The only change is that "NBCR" is underneath the crossed oars rather than above them. Here's a pic!

You can order online HERE.

Happy Busy Holidays!

Awe, didja miss us?? Sorry there haven't been that many blog postings recently. Between the holidays and trying to wrap up our 2010 year, things have been a little busy. Plus, this California girl isn't so great at dealing with all this white stuff the sky keeps dumping! Scraping windshields and shoveling snow?? WHAA?? So yeah, I finally broke down and now have every puffy jacket, scarf, pair of gloves, and hats dug out of boxes, and a new pair of fuzzy snow boots on my feet. I have a feeling these will be all I wear for a few months...

So, while I wasn't blogging, I was busy collecting money!! Yes, that's correct - WE HAVE MATCHED THE CHALLENGE GRANT!!!!! Thanks to lots of very generous and caring people out there, we have reached our goal and are now guaranteed to be given $25,000 again next year! We'll have to match it again, but we'll have longer than 6 months to do it in! This means that we can plan out our spring and summer seasons and will have enough money in the bank to operate until we begin collecting enough in revenue to sustain our costs. This is great news! It also means that for all of those kids that can't afford the fees to row, they can row anyway! We get to change lives, all thanks to you generous folks. Thanks for giving New Bedford a rowing club for Christmas!

Now, off to go put together reports and all that "fun" stuff..I know you're jealous. :) Happy Holidays and may 2011 bring us all what we wish for! (I already got my wish)

It just keeps getting better

Not only have we managed to reach our challenge match goal, we have received a few more donations in the mail today! They may or may not wish to remain anonymous so I'll leave their names out of it, however several of them are rowers. You guys are awesome!! Thank you so much for supporting the club and for being a part of it all. You're all a pleasure to work with and I can't wait to hit the water with all of you this spring!!!

WE DID IT!!!!

As if it were a Christmas gift to all of us at NBCR and to the people of the Greater New Bedford community, we've matched the challenge grant!!! Yes, it's true - we had 2 people step up and close out the last $5,000 of the match!! They wish to remain anonymous otherwise I would be hailing their names to the heavens. Both have supported NBCR in the past, to boot.

All of the people that have given a donation to NBCR in any amount are how we made this happen. Every single bit helps and it all added up to reach our goal. THANK YOU to all of you that have supported NBCR whether financially or otherwise. It still amazes me the amount of support we've gotten in just 6 months.

I'm extremely excited for what's to come and now that we've secured $25,000 for next year (thanks to the match), we can move forward planning the spring and summer seasons. There are LOTS of exciting things in the works, so believe me, you want to be a part of this. New location, new docks, new races, new rowers, new coaches, maybe even some new equipment! The sky is the limit for us as long as we have the support of those that have gotten us this far. You are all fantastic!!!!!!

Merch Orders

Wow who knew that beanie hats were so popular! Larissa, our resident apparel guru, is working on t-shirt orders. There is a shipment expected in today and once that comes in, we can post a picture of the beanie hats, although it seems that people want 'em anyway, sight unseen.

Thanks Larissa, for all of the effort you put into these things. It's time consuming and a pain in the butt, but you do a great job. Thanks to you we'll soon blanket all of New Bedford with our t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hats!!

College

Some of our kids are sending out emails to coaches, filling out online forms, submitting SAT and ACT scores to colleges. The process is a tedious and sometimes daunting one, but our kids are plugging away and some are even hearing back from coaches. This is good stuff! Hopefully we'll have several kids rowing for top programs in the next couple of years and proving that NBCR is a great thing for the area. I also just recently heard back from a UMass Crew teammate of mine that was a NBHS grad in '94. We both never got the opportunity to row before UMass but it was a huge part of both of our lives. Neyla - this is for you and all the other people that never got to row in high school!!

MERCH page on the website!

http://www.newbedfordcommunityrowing.org/merch/

There it is, folks. With a little help from an amazing IT guy, I finally got the page up on our website, AND got the order form to work. Yay! (hey - for me, this is a big deal!)

So order yourself a snazzy t-shirt or sweatshirt online and we'll get them out to you as soon as we get them in. We have some stuff in stock already so we may be able to get it to you before Christmas!

Happy Friday!

The days and weeks are ticking off pretty quickly here in December. The holidays are approaching and it's becoming painfully obvious that shoppers are everywhere. Trying to run errands turns into an exercise in futility, or at least a much longer excursion than necessary.

The Challenge Grant is also going well. Yes, we only have a couple precious weeks to match the full $25,000 but we're within $5,000!!! So anyone out there that is looking to support a good cause and/or get their company to support us, NOW is the time! Sooooo close...... Help us reach it before the deadline and give rowing to the people of New Bedford for Christmas!

Wisner Murray is coming along very well, getting himself acquainted with all things NBCR. We've got our first meeting with the HDC, EPA, and the EDC on Monday and he's very excited to get put into the mix. If all goes as planned, we'll have new, permanent incredible docks put in for the spring season!! YAY!! For those of you with 'fond' memories of the bubble docks, I'm sure this is fantastic news to you :)

Enjoy your weekend, people and try to stay out of the holiday shopping mess! Happy Holidays to all of you out there.

T-Shirts!!!

The pictures below are the best quality that me and my dinosaur of an iPhone could produce. I myself have purchased a medium t-shirt and hooded sweatshirt and the sizes seem to run pretty normal - not small or overly large. I LOVE my hoodie. The color is called Indigo Blue - not navy, it's lighter. Not royal, less bright. It's sort of like a slate blue, if that helps you.

All of them have the CRI logo on the front and then crossed oars with NBCR on the back. T-shirts are $15, Long sleeve shirts are $20, Crewneck Sweatshirts are $35, and Hoodies are $45. We haven't gotten the beanie hats in yet, but they'll be navy with the same NBCR/oar logo embroidered on the front, just smaller. Those will also be $15.

Email either myself at carolyn@communityrowing.org, or give a call to 508.717.4013 to place an order. If we have it in stock, it's yours immediately. If we don't have the sizes you want, we can order it and it takes about a week or two for it to come in. I'll also be putting a page on our website to place an order but credit cards won't be accept for these purchases. Check, cash, or money order will work best. Just look on www.newbedfordcommunityrowing.org under "MERCH"

Hoodie: Back...

...and Front

Crewneck Sweatshirt & Long Sleeve T Fronts

The classic.....T-shirt, back and front

Merch!!

We made up some t-shirts and sweatshirts for the Trivia Throwdown and they seemed pretty popular. With that in mind, we had some more printed up just in time for the holidays! (okay, sorry Channukah, we missed you didn't we?) In any case, we've got t-shirts, long sleeve t's, crew neck sweatshirts, and hooded sweatshirts. We also just had a batch of beanie hats made too. I'll take some pictures and post on here, and then make a page for the website. Keep your loved ones warm this winter with the coolest sweatshirt around!!

Youth and Environmental Programs

Last night I was invited by Scott Durkee (Director of Energy Office) to a little get together with some other amazing people doing great things here in New Bedford. I didn't get to chat with everyone there, but I did meet a few new, very interesting people. "Ms. Dolce" from OSS and Kalia from the Marion Institute were great to talk to. Mark Smith from the Ocean Explorium had some funny stories to tell and has even rowed himself. I saw Peter and Katie from Nativity Prep, and a few others. I'm excited to get involved with these folks and learn more about the programs they are running or a part of. Thanks Scott, for inviting me!!

Getting Closer!

Great news! Another check toward our Challenge Grant has just come in from Dave Johnson!! I recently met him up at CRI at the Annual Meeting where a new club president (Lila McCain) and 2 new board members (Amy Cederholm & Cissy Young) were elected. Congrats to them all.

I sat at a table with Dave and after a brief presentation (okay, so maybe my presentation was longer winded than the others...you all know me by now) several people came up to talk to me about the exciting things happening here in New Bedford. Everyone was very supportive and very happy to hear about all of the successes. Small world that it is, Amy Cederholm grew up in New Bedford, went to Bishop Stang, and started rowing at CRI 5 years ago. With the generous donation from Dave Johnson and his company NESLCO (New England Security Lock Company), we can make sure that someone like Amy doesn't have to wait years and years after high school to find rowing. Now we're here!! And with $5,000 more, we'll match the challenge grant and be here to stay :)

So thank you, Dave. Thank you for your generous donation and for supporting another rowing club. CRI values your support up there and we certainly do down here as well.

All put to bed :)

With the wonderful help of Cara Lombardi, Kerry Angilly, Peter Hawes, Ames Colt, and Richie Medeiros, we were able to unload our trailer and put all of our equipment officially "away" for the winter! It has to be said, that although we had 6 NBCR bodies, we could not have gotten it all done without the very generous help of Coach Brent Bode, and the CRI Youth Boys team. They were invaluable! Coach Marko wasn't so happy that his practice started a little bit late, but we were so appreciative of the help those boys gave! And man, were some of them tall! Good luck to the boys this spring - they look strong and ready to dominate! And thanks, Bode - for unlocking everything and helping us get everything put where it needed to go. NBCR people - thanks for making the trip up to CRI on a precious Saturday in December. I know it's not easy to get away during the holidays but it was very great of you to do so.

Thanks everyone! Happy Holidays!

Wisner Murray!

Yesterday Wisner and I met and discussed various ways he can get involved with NBCR. He and his lovely wife Betts have already been involved, going back to volunteering for our NB Popes Island Regatta. They held key positions and were a great help to us. Apparently Wisner couldn't get enough and wants to stick around! We're VERY lucky to have Wisner help us in Development and our first task is to work on getting the dock project moving along. Kristin Decas (executive director for the Harbor Development Commission) has already done a lot of great work in securing grant money and now we've got to get permitting in line. I'm very thankful to have Wisner's help with this sort of thing as he has an immense amount of knowledge and experience in Development. Welcome to the team, Wisner!

Need motivation over the winter?

New way to train! One of our rowers - Steve Gillum - told me about a website that allows you various options for training on the erg. It can link you with other people all over the world and you can train together. You can track your progress and gain access to Olympic coaches' workouts. Here's the website for any of you that may be interested in it!

http://www.digitalrowing.com/index.htm

Saturday Trip

Despite December being a tough time of year for people to eke out some extra time, I think we've gotten just enough people to make the trip up to CRI on Saturday! I know it's tough for people to get away and many can't make it, but luckily we have a handful that can find the time. We're sure to have a good time and can always use a few more hands. Looking forward it!

Power and Grace Calendars to support US Rowing Athletes!

On Sale Now! The United States Women’s Rowing Team has launched the 2011 “Power & Grace” Calendar featuring U.S. Olympic and National Team athletes. For the first time ever, the country’s best rowers are photographed from an intimate perspective, showcasing their beauty and strength. The calendar is perfect for: Holiday gifts Hostess gifts Healthy inspiration for friends Sports enthusiasts Rowing lovers Empowerment photos for teens & tweens who have seen too many unhealthy models $10 each. Calendars are limited. Please support the team and join the Olympic journey by visiting www.yearbox.com/rowing and purchasing calendars! Convenient online shopping only. 100% of the calendar proceeds will be donated to “Athletes on the Water,” which funds U.S. National Team daily living and training expenses. Training on the U.S. Rowing Team is a full-time job, requiring 45+ hours of workouts per week. The team trains thrice daily by rowing, erging, running, biking, yoga and weight lifting. The goal of this calendar is to ease the financial burden of athletes committing their lives to being the best in the world. Every little bit helps! Pro-bono photography by Shivani Parmer (www.shivspix.com); management by Olympic silver medalist and five-time national team member, Ali Cox (www.alicox.com); creative design by Olympic gold medalist and six-time national team member, Anna Goodale (www.annagoodale.com).

Unloading

So now that we've packed everything up onto a trailer and taken it back up to CRI for the winter, it seems we've gone into a bit of hibernation. We still need to unload that trailer before the snow comes! Looking for helping hands this Saturday to meet us at CRI to unload our equipment and store it properly for the winter (aka inside :) ) and then either have a fun erg rodeo or a cookout. CRI has an awesome grill that we can cook up some tasty burgers on! Here's hoping more people respond that this Saturday the 11th works for them!

P.S. You don't have to be a rower to help...hint hint hint :) And if you haven't yet seen the amazing new CRI boathouse, this is a perfect opportunity to check it out and get a personal tour.

Brrrrr!

Boy it sure gets cold here. This wuss from California (by way of Savannah, GA before that) is not used to this. And I'm hearing about this stuff they call SNOW?!?! Oh boy...I'm so glad we're not on the water anymore!

So far Winter Training is going well. The numbers are low but the feedback has been schedule conflicts and holiday commitments. There are several adults and kids that will be joining us later on in the winter season. So that means we have room for YOU! The coaches are putting the finishing touches on their training plans and have a goal of a top performance at the CRASH B's Indoor Rowing Championship on February 20th. It's quite a sight so if you're a racer, start training now. If you're just curious, come watch!

Photos from the Tasting

Entrance to the loft area of Cork Wine & Tapas Bar.

People mingling about - you can see coach Briana Blood, Board President Tom Gonsiorowski, and Board Member Anne Eisenmenger, along with Tom and Sherbie Worthen.

(L) Mike Galvin, General Manager for Cork Wine & Tapas Bar. (R)bDirector Carolyn McGonagle, Debbie Brooks, and in the distance Jay Lanagan, co-owner of Rose Alley Ale House.

Beer & Wine Tasting = SUCCESS!!

Last night was a fantastic event! Thank you all for coming out despite the wind and rain. The upstairs loft area of Cork was nice and warm, though. Thanks to Mike Galvin, General Manager of Cork Wine & Tapas Bar, Richard Cardoza, owner, and the folks over at Rose Alley Ale House - Jay Lanagan, co-owner, and Jordan Chabot, beer guru. They poured some great beers that were seasonal along with both red and white wines that paired well with the delicious food they were serving. (the philly cheesesteak rolls are aaa-mazing)

We had about 25-30 people in attendance and some came from the Boston area, the Wareham area, even Rhode Island to support us. It was great to see a few board members there. Tom Gonsiorowski, our board president, and his wife Barbara along with Anne Eisenmenger and her husband Patrick Lester. We had lots of rowers on hand and even the youth coach Briana Blood. Larissa McLaughlin as usual, was a key person helping out at the welcome table.

I had some great conversations with many different people and it was a fun evening. I spoke a little bit about our challenge grant and the deadline of December 31st so hopefully there were people in the audience that know of supporters we can contact. The people that came to support us last night raised $1100!! What amazing people we've found here in New Bedford... I love it here! We even got a few people that plan to row in the spring (Jay...Fletcher...Kevin...)

There were more people that wanted to make it but either the time or the day was tough for them. So I'm extremely happy with the turnout that we had and I want to say thank you to all that help us do what we do. It's the efforts of all of us that make NBCR successful!

THANK YOU ALL!!

Beer & Wine Tasting is TONIGHT!!

Now that we've gotten all of the ergs over to the YMCA and have begun the winter training, it's time for you all to have some fun too. Join us at Cork Wine & Tapas Bar tonight from 6-8pm for a fantastic sampling of seasonal beers from Rose Alley Ale House, and several different wines from Cork. We'll have some small bites for you to enjoy (although a full dinner downstairs at Cork or Rose Alley is recommended - delish!). Come meet some rowers and learn a bit about New Bedford Community Rowing and how you can get involved. Looking forward to seeing you there!