Hello everyone,
Next week, Thursday, April 11 at 6:30 PM until 11:00 PM we have our movie night fundraiser and raffle at Georgetown Stables, 980 South Nebraska Street in Georgetown. AND its an ENGLISH THEME!

• English Beer!
• English Snacks! (Pasties made by Sherry)
• English Toffee!
• People will be speaking English!
• A corny movie about Rob Lowe going to England and rowing at Oxford (preview at right)

Cost of entry is only 20 dollars and includes popcorn and beers.

Please come out and have fun with us and help us get the season going. We have big hopes for the coming season. We'd like to get out to some races, continue to build our fleet, and get a more substantial youth rowing program going.

Hope to see you all, and bring your family and as many friends as you can!

What a great first year for Duwamish Rowing Club! The year kicked off with the acquisition of 7 brand new rowing machines (concept 2 ergometers) for the South Park Community Center. We were able to acquire the ergometers through a Department of Neighborhoods grant, and they are now property of the Community Center and available for anyone to use. Next we began offering an "Indoor Rowing Fitness Class" based around the machines. We were able to run several successful (and full) classes.
		In February we established a "boathouse" in South Park near Duwamish Waterway Park. Its a shipping container for now, but we have big plans for something more permanent in the future. In early April our first two boats arrived, the "South Park Community Center" and the "Dorothy." On April 21st we had our first row as a crew on the Duwamish!
On June 2nd we had a boat Christening party. Lots of people from the South Park Neigborhood came and we had a great lunch and celebrated the start of our club. Among the guests were James Rasmussen from the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition, and Seattle City Councilwoman Sally Clark (a rower herself). We even got a little write up in the West Seattle blog!
		In August we built some racks inside the boathouse to be able to more easily store our boats. Thanks to Joe Jaquemart for all of his hard work and welding expertise. In late August we had our first ever KIDS CAMP!! We brought coach Tara Morgan aboard to coach the camp. It was small, just 5 kids this year. 3 were from South Park and 2 were from White Center. The kids had a great time and learned a lot about teamwork. Next year we hope to have 10 kids and we will offer it for the entire summer, with a goal of racing in the fall.
In October our fleet expanded by 3 boats: The "Second Chance", "Happy", and "Dawn". Thank you to Vashon Island Rowing Club for their donation, and thank you to Green Lake for selling us the other 2 boats. In November we raced as a club for the first time. We entered a mens double at the Green Lake Frostbite Regatta, and we rowed a four the next day at Head of the Lake.

We recently had a meeting with members of the South Park Community as well as a representative from ECOSS and the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition. We have big plans for next year and for the years to come. We hope to continue to build this into a thriving club with a masters and juniors program to rival any of the other clubs in town. Stay tuned!

us on Facebook!

Lets keep Duwamish Rowing Club growing. We would like to be able to get more of you, both teens and adults, out on the river doing something positive and healthy. Our wish list for this year includes:

• A second four person rowing shell ($10,000-$12,000 used)
• A newer set of sculling oars for our double ($980)
• personal flotation devices for the youth program ($240-$300)
• Some pay for our coaches for this year ($2,000)
• Aquasox or warmers for the youth program ($200)
• A smaller used 4 stroke motor for the coaches launch ($1,000-$1,500)

Total fundraising goal for this year: $14,420-$16,980

Source: westseattleblog.com
"After a little over a year and a half of talking, planning, and fundraising, Duwamish Rowing Club has finally become a reality. We have established a “boathouse” (really a 45-foot shipping container) in South Park near Duwamish Waterway Park. We have a double, a single, and a four-person rowing shell so far. We hope to buy another four in the coming weeks. Its a small start, but we are happy with what we have been able to accomplish." [Full Article]

Your gift to D.R.C. helps to promote a healthy and positive activity on the Duwamish for adults and young people from South Park, Georgetown, and the neighborhoods in and around the Duwamish Valley. We would like to express our deepest thanks for your support.

Many thanks to those who have helped us make it this far, including:

• The South Park Community Center Advisory Council
• Skip Anderson and the folks at Renton Rowing
• Garry Owens and the Department of Neighborhoods
• Sharon and Bill from the Associated Recreational Council
• The McNeil family
• Al and Bill for their kind encouragement