Our goal is to make rowing more accessible. Rowing is expensive with a high cost barrier, but it is an invaluable experience for student athletes to learn problem solving and get in touch with Pittsburgh through a different perspective. We want every CMU student to have the opportunity to pursue rowing, as it instills lifelong values in team spirit, dependability, physical fitness and mental fortitude. This funding would help maintain CMU’s contribution to the rowing community, through lessening the financial burden to our student athletes. It would not only increasing our accessibility to CMU students, but also our visibility as an organization.
Attending regattas requires many financial transactions. Registration fees are paid per boat, with our most prestigious regatta costing $400 per eight. In order for every member on the team to race, boat registration consumes thousands of dollars each semester. In addition to race specific fees, our regattas are far away, requiring the rental of travel cars and hotel stays. Over time, our frequently used equipment requires repairs or replacement to ensure the safety of the athletes. Our team is largely made of students who did not have the opportunity to try rowing until coming to CMU, our Novice operations having a large cost to ensure safety and opportunity for all. The money raised during this campaign would first go towards a cox box, the equipment that allows coxswains (‘brains of the boat’) to communicate with the rowers and coaches. After, the team want to host a Team/Alumni/Family and Friends get together during Carnival. At the last get together, the team met an alum who competed on the team during its first decade, giving us the opportunity to recount some of our Tartan history. Lastly, the team has a goal of lowering the starting cost for novices by partially covering uniform fees, required for racing.
