McMaster's rowing team raised money to cover expenses for trip to Canadian University Rowing Championship outside Fortinos Ancaster
On Sept. 17, the McMaster University rowing team held a fundraising event outside the Fortinos Ancaster to support their trip to the Canadian University Rowing Championship.
While the previous season’s championship took place in St. Catharines, Ont., this year the team will head to Burnaby, B.C. in November for the competition.
“[The executive team] kind of all just collectively decided that this year our main fundraising goal would be for our nationals. . .We’ve been given an estimate of around $1000-$1200 per athlete to go before any fundraising, so that’s just been our main focus for this season,” said Heidi Akot, the team's fundraising coordinator.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team also ran the event in 2018 and 2019 to raise funds for the rowing program. This year the team set up rowing machines outside the grocery store where athletes would row a 50 metre sprint for every $5 donated.
According to Akot, the team was able to raise approximately $5,400 with the contributions from donors. The money raised at the event will primarily go towards paying for their travel costs and accommodations.
The team has also set up a donations page through iFundMac, a crowdfunding platform used by the university to help fund projects that advance research, teaching, learning and student experience within the McMaster community. No additional fees are associated with the platform, with project leaders receiving the full amount of funds sent out by donors.
Additionally, while the team does receive funding as a group under the McMaster Athletics and Recreation department, their fundraising events help provide supplementary financial support to subsidize the costs that athletes typically pay on their own.
“This year we’re really just trying to work together and raise money so that people don’t have to fully pay out of pocket. . .We just want to make sure that money isn’t an issue and our athletes can go and focus on performing their best,” said Akot.
This year we’re really just trying to work together and raise money so that people don’t have to fully pay out of pocket. . .We just want to make sure that money isn’t an issue and our athletes can go and focus on performing their best.
Over the last year, the team has been a part of several other community and fundraising events, including the second annual McMaster Rowing Gala and the McMaster 2x4 Challenge. The team also sold tickets for the Hamilton Bulldogs on Mar. 3 and ran an additional Chuck-A-Puck event at the game.
Looking ahead, the team plans to organize additional community and fundraising initiatives to continue supporting rowers in the program.
For example, Akot described a farm fundraiser on Oct. 1 where the team is planning to visit a local farm to help them prepare for the winter season in exchange for a donation at the end of their work. Later on in the year, the team is also planning on organizing a fundraiser based on an event that the Leander Boat Club has run in the past.
Now looking ahead to the 2023 campaign, the team looks to continue achieving at both the provincial and national level this season. The funding that they receive from their donations this season will not only allow rowers to compete in Burnaby, B.C., but will also help the group to keep developing their talent and work towards sustaining the rowing program in the future.
