Recognition and Development (Q1 2026)

Welcome to Part One of the “Recognition and Development” series of The Boathouse Blog!

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In this quarterly series, the TRRA Development Committee will share details about the projects our staff and volunteers are working on behind the scenes. Think of these as developing stories from around the boathouse—of which you can be a part.

If something catches your attention, there may be a way for you to get involved—either to help steer us in the right direction (evade that log!) or add some power strokes to the boat (Power 10!).

The following projects are either completed, in-progress, or on the radar.

If you have connections, ideas, skills, or questions, please share them here and we will be in contact with you ASAP.

Thanks for being part of the crew,

TRRA Staff

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1. Millvale Dock Project

The Only Shared Public Dock on the Heritage River Trail

TRRA is seeking coordinated, multi-source funding to replace the damaged dock at our Millvale Training Facility. The dock is over twenty years old and has reached the end of its lifespan. It serves Hearts of Steel, Paddlefish, several local high school teams, and Friends of the Riverfront programming—and it is free and accessible to the public.

In 2024, TRRA made significant progress activating funding for this $375,000 project, including soliciting congressional support and submitting applications to regional funders. In 2026, our strategy is to diversify funding sources and coordinate a multi-level approach—combining foundation grants, government funding, and community support—to get this essential piece of public river infrastructure replaced.

How You Can Help

1. Connect us to Borough of Millvale stakeholders — elected officials, residents, business owners, or civic leaders who can advocate for this project or provide letters of support.

2. Help organize grassroots fundraising — if you’ve organized community fundraisers, pub crawls, or crowdfunding campaigns before, we could use your playbook.

3. Offer long-term planning expertise — construction management, capital project planning, or infrastructure consulting experience would be valuable as we coordinate multiple funding streams.

4. Serve as a community convenor — help us bring together the organizations and individuals who use the dock to build a coalition behind the replacement project.

2. First Row 2.0

A Social Mobility and Violence Prevention Program for Underserved Youth

TRRA is building a pathway for dedicated youth from our partners at the CEC–Hill District, Sarah Heinz House, and My Brother’s Keeper to join Three Rivers Youth Rowing (TRYR) year-round at a subsidized rate. First Row 2.0 participants will row alongside TRYR athletes, travel to regattas, and be exposed to college recruitment opportunities—including the unprecedented expansion of NCAA Division I women’s rowing scholarships.

This summer, TRRA will again host First Row Summer Camps—a subsidized community rowing camp that also serves as a recruitment base for First Row 2.0. Coaches will identify committed, interested individuals who may transition into the year-round competitive program. In 2025, the summer camps served 20–40 participants with programming support from CEC-Hill District (two weeks) and Sarah Heinz House (one week). The 2026 season will expand both participation and STEM-integrated curriculum, including sessions on the physiological science of rowing.

How You Can Help

1. Volunteer during First Row Summer Camps — help with on-water safety, logistics, or snack distribution. Must be able to pass required background checks. Contact us for dates.

2. Become a sponsor or mentor — provide academic support, financial assistance, or simply a consistent adult presence for a participant.

3. Spread the word — know a family, teacher, or community organization that works with youth ages 12–18 on the Hill District or North Side? Help us reach them.

   
   

3. Fundraising 2026–2027

Long-Term Strategic Planning to Enhance Community Giving

Our current fundraising efforts are successful and reflect a highly engaged, sustainably committed membership. THANK YOU!

That said, the fundraising landscape is always shifting. With twelve active teams across two boathouses, there is room to evolve. The goal is to add more benefits and perks for our members while building updated fundraising strategies into the infrastructure of TRRA. The Development Committee is exploring the creation of a Fundraising Sub-committee to work within the TRRA Strategic Plan on initiatives like a monthly giving program and enhanced donor recognition.

How You Can Help

1. Join the Fundraising Sub-committee — this is a small, focused group that will meet periodically to plan events, identify new giving opportunities, and help shape how TRRA engages donors. Ideal for members with event-planning, marketing, or development experience.

2. Share your fundraising ideas — have you seen a fundraiser at another organization that worked well? Participated in a giving campaign you loved? We want to hear about it.

3. Help plan events and gatherings — from informal social nights to structured fundraising events, we need people willing to roll up their sleeves and help.

   
   

4. Ongoing Boathouse Maintenance

We Need More Regular Boathouse Day Volunteers

Spring is in the air, and there’s always something to do. Boathouse Days run from 11:00 AM–2:00 PM on Thursdays and typically involve work in the bays, grounds cleanup, landscaping, interior tidying, or helping with an administrative task. No two Boathouse Days are alike.

All TRRA members are required by contract to contribute 16 volunteer hours per year (and many of you do even more—thank you!). Regular Boathouse Day attendance is one of the easiest ways to fulfill that commitment while getting to know the inner workings of our facilities.

How You Can Help

1. Show up to the next Boathouse Day — check your emails from Xan Janik (Volunteer Coordinator) for upcoming dates. Bring a friend.

2. Bring a specific skill — handy with plumbing, electrical, carpentry, machines, or landscaping? Let us know and we’ll match you to a project that fits.

3. Coordinate your team — team captains and coaches, consider organizing a team Boathouse Day to knock out hours together and build team spirit.

5. Sustaining Local Business Friendships

Recognizing the Businesses That Support Us

A number of local businesses have been incredibly generous to TRRA—donating kegs of beer, cases of 4-packs, discounted catered food, handmade cheesecakes, and regatta sponsorships. These businesses know we’re a nonprofit, and they’re happy to help. But their products and services aren’t costless to them. Let’s show them we value their support.

Our Business Friends:

•      Burgher’s Brewing (Millvale)

•      Kyle’s Cheesecakes N’at (Millvale)

•      2 Freys Brewing (Bloomfield/Garfield)

•      Dancing Gnome Brewing (Sharpsburg)

•      Redfin Blues (Regatta Sponsor)

How You Can Help

1. Visit after practice — stop by one of these businesses with your teammates after a row. Mention you’re from TRRA.

2. Leave a review — a Google or Yelp review goes a long way for small businesses. Mention the connection to TRRA if appropriate.

3. Suggest new partnerships — know a local business that might want to support TRRA events or programming? Make an introduction.

4. Tag them on social media — when you visit, tag both the business and @threeriversrowing. It costs nothing and multiplies the recognition.

Stay tuned for Part Two.

Questions? Ideas? Email aodhanridenour@threeriversrowing.org

Three Rivers Rowing Association  •  Washington’s Landing & Millvale, PA