Members and friends of the Genesee Rowing Club will come together for two events the first weekend of June to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the club. Plans are underway for a wine and beer tasting event on Friday evening, June 1 and a free Learn-to-Row afternoon on Saturday, June 2.
GRC started with a small group of Rochester-area enthusiasts dedicated to creating a venue exclusively devoted to the sport of rowing. Genesee Rowing Club has grown to become a premier rowing club in the upstate New York region, offering classes for adults in both sculling and sweep rowing at the beginner, intermediate, recreationa and competitive levels.
Since its inception in the fall of 2008, the club has grown to about 75 members, has taught instructional classes to hundreds of newcomers, and has built a boathouse that the club currently shares with the St. John Fisher College and Brighton (high school level) crew teams. The club also provides space to Rochester Community Inclusive Rowing, a group whose goal is to provide rowing opportunities for those with barriers to conventional rowing.
The docks and boathouse at GRC are positioned to take full advantage of the beautiful upstate waterways, being located in Genesee Valley Park at the junction of the Genesee River and the historic Erie Canal. GRC offers programming for adult rowers taking their first strokes as well as those who want to bring their water time to a higher level by competing against others. The GRC race team has competed locally, nationally and even internationally at iconic venues such as the Royal Henley in London, England, and has won medals at every level. Male and female team members range in age from 23 to mid-70s. The club also supports individual rowing for those who have their own sculls or racing shells.
To celebrate their 10-year journey, club members and friends will be gathering at the Roger Robach Community Center at Charlotte Beach on Friday, June 1 for a wine and beer tasting event. DJ entertainment, a silent auction, food and drinks are included with admission. There will be a variety of wineries and breweries represented, including The VB brewery, CB Craft Brewers, WeBe Brewing Company, Original Stump Blower (OSB) Ciderworks, Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery, Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars, and FIZ Pop. The event is open to the public and tickets are available for $55 at www.eventbrite.com or through club members.
In addition to the Friday evening celebration, GRC will be participating in National Learn-To-Row Day on Saturday, June 2, by offering free instruction to people interested in checking out the sport. Participants will tour the club boathouse and learn about rowing shells, receive an introduction to the rowing stroke on rowing machines, and then get a chance to take a few strokes on the river in a boat accompanied by experienced rowers. Learn-to-Row Day activities are free, but spots should be secured by going to the Genesee Rowing Club website (www.geneseerowingclub.com ) and filling out a reservation form which will allow selection of a time slot. Those who have previous rowing experience, perhaps in high school or college, and who may want to get back in a boat are welcome to come out and row again as well.
Provided information
