Wow!  We had a great weekend at the 2012 San Diego Crew Classic.  We split our time between the USRowing tent on Saturday and the Stewards’ Brunch on Sunday, and it was a welcome excuse to get away from the training center and spend some time socializing with friends down on Mission Bay.  If you haven’t already checked it out, I uploaded some photos from this weekend to my Facebook page.

One of the most exciting parts of the weekend was being present for the official launch of USRowing’s new fundraising campaign for the National Team: ROW TO LONDON.  This campaign is taking a new approach–asking the rowing community to fundraise specifically for the National/Olympic Team in these last crucial months before the 2012 Games.  How?  By taking advantage of that most inalienable truth that drives all rowers to do what we do:  making it a competition.
One element of the Row to London campaign is challenging rowing clubs and teams around the country to raise money to support the 2012 Olympic Team.  The club or boathouse that raises the most money will win a visit from members of the 2012 Olympic Team (men, women or both) to run an event of their choosing (Learn to Row, Fantasy Camp, meet & greet, cocktail hour… your choice!).
This is an awesome opportunity for the rowing community to get involved with the Team during the final buildup to London, and to bring some of the world’s best athletes to your boathouse to do whatever YOU want!  For more information on how to get involved with the Row to London, contact:

Beth Kohl
beth@usrowing.org
(203)761-8643

Check out the official ROW TO LONDON Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Row-To-London/356559541041973

or visit the National Rowing Foundation to set up a Team fundraising page:

http://natrowing.donorpages.com/RowtoLondon

Now tell me… what would you do with 2012 Olympians if you won the Row to London Team Challenge?

Long Live the Dream,

–MK