Dear TRRA Community Member,
I can’t tell you how great it has been to see programs safely returning to the water over these last few weeks. Our campuses are emerging from their hibernation and our team boats are returning to the waters for the first time since 2019! Even with masks on, it's clear people are smiling as they return to the water and that makes us all very happy!
It was also great to see so many people participate in one of the four virtual Spring Safety Meetings this past week. Safety continues to be our number one priority at TRRA and it is the responsibility of all TRRA community members to be accountable and live up to the safety standards and protocols. While we are all excited to return to the water, it is important to remember that the river flow rate does not care how long we have been quarantined at home; that the water temperature does not care how many years of rowing and paddling experience we may have; the wind does not care that conditions kept us from the water yesterday; and the weather patterns do not care that there “might” be a race or scrimmage soon. Each day is different, especially this time of year, and each day needs to be looked at independently. Approach each day with a safety-first mindset and always use common sense.
April will be a busy month here at TRRA. Next Thursday (April 8 at 7pm), be sure to tune in to The Catch Crew webinar, hosted by USRowing, and hear the powerful story of the first African-American masters rowing team in Pittsburgh. I also hope many of you can join us for the TRYR Trivia Night on April 10th and be on the lookout for details of our summer rowing camps and programs (including Summer Rowing League) in the next two weeks!
If anyone has any questions, particularly about safety protocols and procedures, please do not hesitate to reach out!
Take care and be safe,
Matt Logue
Executive Director
CATCH CREW WEBINAR
The Catch Crew - the first African-American masters co-ed rowing team in Pittsburgh and second in the USA behind Cross Currents Minority Rowing out of Rochester, N.Y. - formed in 2007. This award-winning team reflected a wide variety of professional backgrounds, driven by their collective curiosity and love for the sport of rowing. As members of the Three Rivers Rowing Association, the Catch Crew competed in various cities across the country, earning various medals, including at Pittsburgh's coveted Head of the Ohio race.
The team is proud to share their powerful story, which reflects a group of determined Black professionals, banded together by an award-winning history of competitive rowing, forming lifelong friendships along the way. The Catch Crew's current goals include raising public awareness of their history-making journey including a documentary, strengthening diversity in the sport of rowing, encouraging minority rowers, coaches and volunteers to participate and discover the beauty of the sport, documenting our experiences to serve as inspiration and motivation for the next generation of rowers, and creating a lasting and an all-inclusive environment for future rowing participants.
Thursday, April 8, 2021 - 7 p.m. ET - REGISTER HERE
TRYR BOATHOUSE TRIVIA NIGHT
Time is running out to register for TRYR's Boathouse Trivia Night! The last day to purchase tickets that include tacos from Baby Loves Tacos and a drink from Lucky Sign Spirits is Monday, 4/5. Out of Towner tickets can be purchased up until 5pm EST the day of the event, and can be used by anyone who would like to participate in trivia but not purchase food or drink. Food and beverage pickup will be 4/10 from 3p - 5p at the WL Boathouse. Spread the word and remember to purchase vacation raffle tickets to win $3,000 in prizes and purchase an item from The Giving Tree. All proceeds raised directly support purchasing equipment and providing scholarships for Three Rivers Youth Rowing.
Saturday, April 10, 2021 - 7 p.m. ET - REGISTER HERE
SPRING CLEAN-UP DAY
The spring season clean-up day is Sunday, April 11, and will be safe and socially distant. This will be held entirely outdoors, with the majority of the work being landscaping, clearing leaves and brush from areas it snuck its way into, and trimming back some overgrown plant life - a general beautifying the outside area around the boathouse. We will also be giving the bays a sweep and moving around some equipment for the upcoming season.
Many hands make light work. Supplies needed are rakes, blowers, shovels, refuse bags, and anything else that might help clear the spaces around the boathouse.
Email questions to Joshhockenberry@threeriversrowing.org
Sunday, April 11, 2021 - 9 a.m. ET - REGISTER HERE
TRRA BOOK CLUB
The DEI Committee has made the next two selections for the TRRA Book Club.
APRIL:
"I'm Not Dying with You Tonight" by Gilly Segall & Kimberly Jones, follows two teen girls - one black, one white - who have to confront their own assumptions about racial inequality as they rely on each other to get through the violent race riot that has set their city on fire with civil unrest.
MAY:
"Caste: The Origins of our Discontents" by Isabel Wilkerson, describes racism in the United States as an aspect of a caste system – a society-wide system of social stratification characterized by notions such as hierarchy, inclusion and exclusion, and purity.
Monday, April 26, 2021 - 6 p.m. ET - REGISTER HERE