Twelve local teens recently embarked upon an eight-day expedition along the Erie Canal. These young men, all members of the McQuaid Jesuit High School Crew Team, will row 368 miles in a narrow racing boat, and their Row for Hope will raise money for Rochester’s House of Mercy.
“It’s a nice opportunity to combine rowing and service. It’s not really something you see too often,” remarked team member Elliot Epstein, who will be a senior next school year.
The combination of rowing and community service used to be more commonplace, as the Row for Hope was an annual tradition for many years, explained Jonathan Covney, who has coached McQuaid’s crew team for the last decade. The tradition has faltered in recent years, but this year’s crop of rowers — and their parents — are eager to bring it back, according to team member Owen Nearpass, who also will be a senior next school year.
“We’re finally bringing back this tradition that hasn’t been done annually in a long time. … I’m really hoping that we get to build a lot of momentum for next year and the year after. We’re just trying to get the ball rolling,” Owen said.
The Row for Hope will be a physically demanding journey
The 12 McQuaid students participating in the Row for Hope will traverse the length of the Erie Canal in a narrow boat called a four-man shell, which is approximately 40 feet long, Covney said. Although it’s called a four-man shell, it actually has room for four rowers and one coxswain, who steers the boat and motivates his teammates, explained rising senior Kris Michatek.
“We’ll alternate who’s getting to steer and who’s rowing. We’re taking three-hour shifts,” Kris said, noting that the three-hour shifts will be more physically demanding than the team’s typical workouts. “Our practices aren’t even three hours.”
“It’s going to be a lot, but we’ll be able to handle it,” remarked Jonathan Piehler, who will be a junior at McQuaid next school year.
A parent will follow the racing boat in a rented pontoon, ferrying the team’s camping gear, food and first-aid supplies, as well as team members who have come off of their rowing shifts.
McQuaid rowers plan several local stops along the Erie Canal
The group began its journey on June 7 in Buffalo, launching at 6:30 a.m. and heading east. After stopping for lunch in Medina, the group arrived in Brockport around 5 p.m.
“That’s their longest day. That’s 60 miles, that’s the biggest haul,” Covney said.
The group had dinner in the village and camped overnight at the Brockport Welcome Center on the Erie Canal. Upon meeting the boys and learning about the Row for Hope, several people made large donations to the cause, according to the parents on the pontoon boat.
The group launched from Brockport on June 8 and planned to stop for lunch in Pittsford and make it to Palmyra by 4 p.m. On June 9, the group will depart Palmyra at 7 a.m., break for lunch in Clyde and arrive in Weedsport by 4:15 p.m.
The group will leave Weedsport at 8 a.m. on June 10 and reach Oneida Shores by evening. Over the next several days, the rowers will pass through such locales as Sylvan Beach, Rome and Glenville before arriving in Waterford — where the Erie Canal meets the Hudson River — on June 14.
Several rowing clubs and restaurants along the way have extended offers of hospitality to the Row for Hope crew, and Covney hopes others will come out and support them as they pass through.
“Hopefully, we’ll see some of the local people row alongside us as well as we go by their boathouses,” Covney said.
Fundraising voyage helps students answer God’s call
Rising senior Luke Schiralli hopes people who see his team rowing by will be inspired to donate money to the House of Mercy, which serves Rochester’s homeless population, or perhaps to consider volunteering at the shelter. Members of the crew team volunteered at the House of Mercy earlier this year and also took part in fundraisers for the ministry.
“We are all called to help those in need,” Luke said, noting that the Row for Hope is one way the McQuaid students are seeking to answer that call.
McQuaid students often are encouraged to be “men for others” in the Jesuit tradition, and the rowers are doing just that by participating in this fundraiser, Owen added.
“It’s a nice challenge to start the summer with, and it’s for a good cause,” remarked rising junior Soren Eschenfelder.
“It’s a fun thing to do with a bunch of close friends, and it has the added benefit of actually benefiting other people,” Luke added.
EDITOR’S NOTE: To learn more about the Row for Hope or how to make a donation, visit www.mcquaidcrew.org/s-projects-side-by-side.
Tags: Catholic Schools, Faith in Action, Sports