110 Kirkhof Center
1 Campus Drive
Allendale, MI 49401
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Hello alumni, friends, and generous supporters! Here’s an update covering the past month of Grand Valley Rowing!
March began with our annual Spring Break Training Trip, where we headed back to Oak Ridge, TN after three years of training in Florida. Fearful that the weather would not cooperate, we were pleasantly surprised to have beautiful, sunny weather practically all week! We had some very beneficial sessions on the water to kick off our spring season, and are extremely appreciative of the beautiful rowing venue that Oak Ridge had to offer. To learn more about our trip, check out our daily blogs from every day of the week!
Notably, on the Wednesday of Spring Break, the 2015-2016 Varsity Men’s 1V crushed the record for the farthest distance a GV crew has even gone in a single session, with a round-trip total of 31 miles, with the Varsity Women’s 1V and Novice Men’s crews rowing 26 consecutive miles. Take that Mike Stoll!
Since Spring Break, we have been able to row on the Grand River in Allendale without having to avoid any icebergs, which is a major improvement over last year! Every day of practice gets us one step closer to racing, and everyone down at the boathouse is really excited to get started!
Last weekend, we participated in our first regatta of the Spring season, at the Occoquan Sprints in Fairfax Station, VA. All crews did a marvelous job, and Grand Valley came away with lots of medals, despite facing very fierce competition. We are so thankful for the parents and alumni who came all that way to support us! While in the area, the Laker Navy was also able to explore our nation’s capital, and we even scrimmaged Georgetown University’s crews on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. It was a very fun and successful weekend for the team!
As many of you already know, this weekend is Lubber’s Cup, GVSU Rowing’s home regatta on Spring Lake. We hope to see many of you there cheering on the Laker Navy, and are all very excited to race so close to home! To see all the information about the regatta, be sure to check out the official website, by following this link:
And, as always here is the link you can use in order to donate to the Grand Valley Rowing team:
This will take you to a GVSU page, where there are several options. To donate to the GVSU Rowing Team:
- Write the amount that you would like to donate under “Gift Amount”
- Fill out the gift information below, and click Continue
- Fill out the Billing Information and click Continue
- Checkout with payment information
Your gift will be donated into the general team fund, called the “Crew Fund.” This money goes towards food for the athletes on team trips, equipment like oars and cox boxes, and reduces the costs of travel to all of the high profile events we attend. These donations help our team greatly and in many ways. The Paul Springer Scholarship Endowment is also available to donate to. It is a fund created to build a monetary base in order to award a scholarship that will be given out in a few years. If you would like to donate to this fund, click the link, then under “Search Funds” search for “Paul Springer.” Then click “Add” and you can write the amount you would like to donate.
You can also donate to the GVSU Rowing team by mailing in a check. Please see the form at the end of this letter if you would like to do so. And, whether you are able to donate at this time or not, we ask you to fill out some information about yourself on this form and send it in to us. By doing this, we are able to update the history of the program and get to know the generous alumni and friends who support us. You can include news updates on yourself or those you rowed with in your time at GVSU, and I will then share these updates in future email messages. To send your check and information to the team, you can send it to the following address:
John Bancheri
1 Campus Drive
1110 Kirkhof Center
Allendale, MI 49401
You can make a tax deductible gift to the rowing team, and your generosity will not go unnoticed. Anyamount is welcome at any time. We do not take these donations for granted, and we will highlight those who donate, no matter how large or small the amount. If your gift is larger than $500, we will give you a gift of a genuine, previously used (maybe even by you!), GVSU oar as a gift and token of our appreciation.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to all the individuals who have already donated and helped continue to work towards our goals! We truly appreciate your generosity and consideration. We could not have gotten this far without your kindness and generosity, and can only go on with your continued support. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you very much!
Lastly, don’t forget to follow us on our social media front! You can find frequent updates, tons of pictures, and even GoPro videos of practice!
Twitter: “Grand Valley Rowing”
Instagram: “Grand Valley Rowing Club”
Facebook: “Grand Valley Rowing Club”
YouTube: “Grand Valley Rowing”
Check out this team cheer with our alumni:
Sincerely,
Faith Platz ‘18
2015-2016 Alumni Relations Coordinator
B.S. Statistics/Economics
Grand Valley State University Rowing Club
“Grand Valley State University Rowing Club challenges its student-athletes to reach the highest level to which they aspire both academically and athletically, while continuing to build and sustain a nationally competitive intercollegiate rowing program.”
Please print out this form and fill it out, whether you are able to donate at this time or not. We would love to hear from you and get to know our supporters. I can then share this news and information in future email updates.
Your name ______
Year of graduation ______
Number of years rowed ______
Boats you have been in ______
□ I would like to donate $______to the GVSU Rowing “Crew Fund.” (and my check is included
in this letter)
□ I cannot donate at this time, but keep me in mind in the future.
Recent news, updates, information, or interesting points about yourself or those I rowed with in my time at GVSU.
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