Letter from the Executive Director

Dear CRI Members,

Writing the Executive Director’s Letter for a year like 2008 is exciting as a concept - New boathouse!  Increased enrollment! More outreach! Increased financial support!  It turns out, however, that talking about these unique achievements doesn’t bring much to the table- if we aren’t careful, in fact, we might be a little blinded by all the glitter that surrounds CRI these days.

CRI can look from a distance like a numbers story; the biggest rowing organization in the World (COOL!); a payroll with forty plus people on it (we have how many coaches?  THIRTY FIVE?); seven hundred people on the water every day (we own how many boats?  A hundred and fifty?).   In our case, though, numbers just don’t come close to telling the story - like the stroke rate in a shell, they can give you a clue about how things are going (rowing at a 35 is probably faster than rowing at a 24), but they don’t get to the heart of the matter (you can win the Olympics at a 36 while the crew next to you races frantically at a 40).

The real story of CRI this year is one of extraordinary beauty - the culmination of work that a whole community did to erect a building with a skin that matches the glory of being out on the Charles River through every season of the year.  The last step of a visionary process, led by many and supported by thousands, to accomplish something at the very pinnacle of human achievement. Community Rowing Inc. has mirrored the joy and satisfaction of an ancient practice in the walls of a building, something few communities have ever attempted let alone succeeded.

And what is the most exciting part of our story in 2008?  The fact that the best remains to be told - in a few short decades, we have just begun the process of building the connections between people that make Community Rowing such a rich place to be.  We have a home now, we have a plan to keep our people safe on the river, we have an institute to teach our teachers, we have generous supporters to help pay the bills.  We’ve got all the pieces we need to continue the extension of our wonderful sport, and as the years unfold in our new home we can look forward to deepening the connections that make us who we are. It is my hope you will enjoy reading the following 2008 Program Highlights.

Sincerely,

 

 

 

Bruce H. Smith

Executive Director

 

Program Highlights

In 2008, CRI experienced its largest enrollment with a total of 1560 youth and adults participating in both recreational and competitive rowing programs.

CRI’s Varsity Girls’ Team won a total of 9 gold medals including the Club Nationals at the Royal Canadian Henley in Ontario, Canada. The team also earned a silver medal at the Youth Nationals in Cincinnati, Ohio.

CRI had a record number of entries at the 2008 Head of the Charles Regatta.

• For the 3rd year in a row, CRI’s VarsityGirls’first8+won a gold medal by beating67 other youth teams from across the U.S.
• Over a dozen CRI scullers competed in the HOCR with one CRI member, defending her title and winning the Gold for Grand Masters in the Senior Masters Double and anothercapturing 3rd in theVeteran Singles Women.
• The Competitive Women’s Lightweight4+ took 3rd in the Lightweight 4+Women Event.

CRI’s Competitive Adult Programs competed among the best in the country, with a great performance by the Women’s Comp. Team earning 3^rd in the points trophy at the U.S. Rowing Masters’ Nationals held in Long Beach. California.

Community Outreach Program Highlights

CRI enrolled 500+ youth and adults in 11 community outreach programs to teach rowing and provide access to the Charles River. Programs included:  G-ROW Boston, Boston Center for Youth and Families, The T.I.L.L. Program (Toward Independent Living and Learning), Perkins School for the Blind and Newton Special Athletes.

CRI launched two new community outreach programs:

1) Adaptive Rowing Program for youth and adults with physical & mental disabilities. 2) Summer Camp for boys from the West End House Boys and Girls Club of Allston-Brighton, the Commonwealth Tenants Association & Oak Square YMCA of A-B.

CRI’s free community programming in 2008 was valued at more than $250,000.

G-ROW Boston is CRI’s model after-school rowing and academic support program for more than 200 girls (ages 12-18), enrolled in the Boston Public Schools. In 2008, G-ROW’s achievements included:

• G-Row Boston Celebrated its 10^th Anniversary.
• Dick and Lisa Cashin awarded $15,000 grant to purchase 15 new laptop computers, LCD projector, screen and software for G-Row classroom.
• Rutland Corner Foundation awarded $17,200 grant to purchase new Vespoli Quad.
• The Carl & Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation awarded $40,000 two year grant to hire and an academic coordinator and a full four year scholarship to a G-ROW senior to attend Boston College.
• G-ROW entered two 8s in HOCR and finished with fastest times ever.
• Every G-Row girl earned a medal at the 2008 Massachusetts State Public High School Championships.
• G-ROW established a partnership with Rowers Edge to enhance girls opportunities to gain acceptances to college. Rower’s Edge is an organization that helps high school rowers and their families navigate the college admissions process.
• G-Row seniors applied to D1 schools and 100% of girls earned acceptances to such colleges as Boston University, Boston College, University of New Hampshire, Regis College, and Roxbury Community College.
• Since moving into the Harry Parker Boathouse, G-Row has increased the number and attendance of its volunteers. Volunteers include members from CRI and the Boston College Women’s Crew Team.

Fundraising Highlights

CRI’s Annual Appeal increased its revenue by 17% in 2008. The number of gifts increased by 13%. Total revenue was $45,285 received from 213 donors.

CRI’s Corporate Team Building Program earned a total of $16,925.

G-Row raised $176,000 in private grants from such foundations as The Charles Hayden Foundation, New Balance Foundation, State Street Foundation, Bank of America, Schrafft Foundation, J.E. & Z.B. Butler Foundation, The Shapiro Family Foundation, Harvard University and The Boston Children’s Hospital.

CRI’s Annual Wine Tasting increased its revenue by 10% in 2008 with a total of $23,456 being raised from the event.

Boathouse Fundraising Highlights

A $1 million gift for CRI’s Boathouse for All Campaign was received by an anonymous donor.

Parents of CRI’s Youth Competitive Teams reached their $200,000 goal to name the lobby in the new boathouse. More than 75 parents contributed to this effort.

Jane’s Trust awarded a $100,000 capital grant.

The State Street Foundation, a G-ROW funder, awarded a $75,000 capital gift.

During FY08, more than $1.1 million was donated by individuals who were coached by Harry Parker, while either as a student at Harvard University or as a member of one of the six U.S. Olympic Crew Teams (1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, and/or 1984) Crew Teams coached by Mr. Parker.

In 2008, more than 320 donors contributed $1.7 million to the campaign. Since the campaign was launched in 2006, a total of $14.7 million has been raised toward the $16 million goal.

CRI member participation for the campaign reached 70% with many donors making two or more gifts to the campaign.

To date more than 1,000 individuals, corporations and foundations have donated to the campaign.

Boathouse for All Campaign Highlights

The campaign experienced success in 2008, because of its wide appeal. Many individuals expressed interested and chose to support the campaign in acknowledgment of:

• Harry Parker’s significant contributions to the sport of rowing;
• The importance of public access to Boston’s historic Charles River;
• CRI’s commitment to offer community outreach programs such as its: Adaptive Rowing Program and partnerships with the Perkins School for the Blind, Mass Congress for Down Syndrome, Mass Spinal Cord Injury Center, among others;
• Support for G-Row Boston-now one of Boston’s leading after school rowing and academic support program for 200 girls in the BPS;
• Concern for the environment: there are many green building design features throughout the new facility. Green features include: geothermal energy to heat and cool the building; natural light and ventilation, improved storm water management to reduce water pollution, a hydrotech/green roof and maximized open space.

The week leading up to the official opening of the Harry Parker Boathouse, 15 CRI members volunteered to serve as docents by hosting tours of the facility for all who wished to visit.

In September 2008, CRI officially launched its new Adaptive Rowing Program. This program was made possible through a $100,000 grant from the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs to install a universal dock so individuals with physical disabilities would have easier access to the water.

On October 16, 2008, CRI hosted a Dedication Ceremony for the opening of its Harry Parker Boathouse. More than 400 CRI members, supporters, friends and Olympic athletes attended the celebration. Special guests included members from the Parker family, CRI Co-Founders, Olympic Athletes, The Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Recreation as well as elected state officials.

The opening of CRI’s Harry Parker Boathouse earned local and national news coverage. News stories on the subjects of Harry Parker, the boathouse design, Anmahian Winton Architects (AWA), and CRI rowing programs were featured in the Boston Globe, The Boston Herald, The Harvard Crimson, Rowing News, Cambridge Chronicle, The Newton Tab and the Allston-Brighton Tab in addition to live coverage by WBZ-TV Channel 4.

Anmahian Winton Architects (AWA) were awarded two prestigious architectural honors for the modern design of CRI’s Harry Parker Boathouse. These awards are given each year to North American firms for both national and international projects that exhibit strong design and advanced architecture.

• In January 2008, AWA was awarded “The P/A Award” by The Center for Architecture in New York, by Architect Magazine for the building’s smart andprogressive design.
• In June 2008, The Chicago Atheneum Museum of Architecture and Design presented “The American Architecture Award″ to Anmahian Winton Architects (AWA) for the facility’s cutting edge characteristics.

$20,000-$30,000 Bank of America The Charles Hayden Foundation The New Balance Foundation The State Street Foundation The United Way of Mass. Bay   $10,000-$19,999 The J.E. & Z. B. Butler Foundation Dick & Lisa Cashin Nesworthy Trust The Rutland Corner Foundation Toshiba Europe The William E. & Barbara Shrafft Charitable Trust    $5,000 - $9,999 The Blossom Fund Boston Children’s Hospital Fund Jane & Bob Morse David E. Retik & Christopher D. Mello Foundation Howard Schmuck Total    $2,500 - $4,999 Entrepreneurs Organization Harvard University Justice For Athletes Ernie & Kim Parizeau Benard Taradash Charitable Trust    $1,000 - $2,500 Aspect Medical Systems TD Banknorth Donald E. Besser Cambridge Trust Company John & Susanne Carlson Jamie S. Somes Elliot Steinberg Alice Taggart Catherine Truman   $100 - $249 Miriam Alandydy Marylene Altieri Alfred B. Bigelow Linda Borden Myles Brown & Judy Garber Anna Buehler Daniel Casals Diane Cotting Michael & Victoria Curry Bert Dane Monica Karin Davis Charles Douglis Anne Eisenmenger Timothy Ernst Exxon Mobil Foundation Anne Faber Carol Facey-Holmes Mark Faithful Dennis Fiori Beth Anne C. Flynn Helen Fremont GE Foundation  Amy Gault Elizabeth George & Fred Davis Joe & Maura Glandorf Deborah Grinnell Google, Inc. Amy Haley Elizabeth Hohmann Natasha Hope Barbara Howard Virginia Inglis Myla Kabat-Zinn Kathleen O’Dea Kelly Karen Krag Harri Kytomaa Barbara Lenes Julius & Rocky Levin Robert Licht & Lila Heideman Robert Manning Eugene  F. McCabe Katie Jones Richard Kaplan Jonathan Kerr Janice Kerwin Alexandra Knotes Elizabeth D. Kraft Sarah Kuhn Kariann Kulig John Lazarus Lallie Lloyd David Lobron Gary & Gail Lockberg James Lonergan Tom Lovett Catherine Lugar Spencer Macalaster Eugene Mahr Joseph Marcus Jeanette Maillet James & Cynthia Marsh Jeanette Maillet Sarah McCaffrey Ingrid McCarty Andrew McClurg Paul & Jean McGinn Lisa Mediano Ami Mehr Lauren Meier Rebekah Michaels Elli Crocker Morse Stephen Murphy Sue Mushinski Suzi Naiburg Regina Navia Melanie Northrop Samuel Opland Thomas Payzant Pioneer Investments Mary Richer Deborah Rivers Kara Rogers Peter Rosser Lynn Salmonsen William Schauffler Gregg Shapiro Catherine Sheehan Robert & Karen Shusterman Jonathan Stone Lisa V. Stone Meg Tabaka

Blair Crawford David Fish Thomas Gonsiorowski & Barbara Herrmann Anna K. Gunnarson Timothy D Harris Robert Heacox Sigmund E. Herzstein Val Hollingsworth Hollingsworth & Vose Company Donald Keyser Elizabeth Kosturko Carol Krauss Stuart Law Bartlett Leber Heidi McGee Kay Merseth Beth Mooney Patricia Mordas Motorola, Inc. Timothy Pattison & Harriet Solomon J. Calder S. Reardon John B. Reichenbach Hugh & Susan Scott Kurt F. Somerville Bruce H. Smith Cal Sutliff Pamela Wayne & Judith Hanson   $500 - $999 Peter Beaman & Lila McCain James C. Beck Donald & Susan Norman Bolinger Jennifer Chafkin Carol Comer Cheryl & Tom Egan John Giordan Kim Herman Goslant John C. Hall Maura W. Hammer Robert J. Jennett Paul Geoffrey Lowney Stephen & Annette Madden Eugenia Marcus, MD Lisa McElaney Jane McHale Natalie McClain Bill McGowan Andy & Linda McLane                                    Sheilagh A. Mulderig Dawn O’Connor John Eric Olson Ellen Parker Vincent Piccirilli Daniela Priebatsch Andrew & Susan Rippert William J. Saltonstall Ernest & Carol Sarason Leah Scholz Diana & Ronald Scott Catherine Schedlbauer Elisabeth Schmidt Scheuber Michael Serabian Loryn Sheffner Gail & Peter Silberstein Elisa Silverman Nicole Sirianni Alan Steele Helen Stefan Elizabeth Stockwood Anne Stoddard Ian Taberner Robert  Taylor Clifford B. Thompson Alexander Whiteside Leslie Wisdom Julia Wong-Jung Theresa Woolverton Kay Wynant Errol & Marlene Yudelman Alec and Elisabeth Zimmer   $1 - $99 Diane Abbott Catherine Allen Susan Anderson Jonathan Arm, MD Catherine Armer Nancy Armstrong Laura Bannon Linda Beadle David Teichholtz Marty Van Der Heide Ramani Varanasi Cynthia Weiner Eleanor White James Wilson Jennifer Thorne Wyse Robin Zucker

Mariner InsuranceCo.Kathleen McCarronJacquie McCarthy James Miller M.D. Joan & Tom  Nash Henriette Power Jean Rhodes Daniel & Lisbeth Schorr Chan Krieger Sieniewicz, Inc. Bruce Smith Laurie & Mason Tenaglia Roberta Turri-Vise Renata Von Tscharner Gail & Bob Wettach   $250 - $499 Ken Baumgartner Thomas Burchill Anndy Dannenberg Olimpiu Dejeu Lucy El-hage Corrinne S. Ertel, MD Brian Faull Gigi Girgis, MD & George Swetz Lauren Griffiths & Rocco Ciocco, MD Catherine Hayden Margaret Hayes Frederick Horton Michael Hunt Christopher L. King David S. Kirk Patricia Kritek, MD Susan Lamprey Michael & Susan Lesburg Brian Magnusson Sean Maloney Diana Monteith-Rubin Jane Murray Richard Neufville Gail O’Keefe & Douglas Melton Bart Pasternak, MD Scott R Pollack Suzanne & Norman Priebatsch Laura Rothman Lanier Smythe Julia Bell Bob Bensetler Sheila Berens Amelia Bodine Bergmann Regan Bernhard Caro-Gray Bosco William Brown Izi Bruker Michael Chin John Cochran Kate Conklin Lawrence & Kathryn Copley Vicki Costello Connie Crosby Megan Daley Victoria Danberg Tamara Darmancheva Betsy Draper Susan Doolittle Kelley Doyle Eric Dramstad George Driscoll & Mary Jane Houlihan, MD Christopher Dunn Julie Dunn Craig Durrett Julie & John Dutcher Daniel Edson Lisa Eggleston Courtney Forrester David Gallagher  Ann Gardiner Paolo Gaudiano Edward Gibson Ariella Gifford Linda Gobbo Lynn Hassett Margaret Hayes Lisa Heisterkamp Nancy Hendrickson David & Jerri Henry Judy Hershey Richard Heym Charles Hoffman Elisabeth W. Hopkins Lina Hughes Ken Itrato Christine Johnson Kristin Johnson Johnson & Johnson, Cos.