A huge thank you to the rowing community for your fantastic support!
My family, Nancy, Lauren and I flew to New Orleans, Feb 27th, to present a check to the Tulane crew. When I started this fundraising effort I hoped we’d raise the 20K I set as my original goal but by the time of the NY Power 10 dinner in January I knew we’d easily exceed this amount.
A lot of my friends and guys that rowed with Bob Jaugstetter made a number of significant gifts at the dinner. The Stewards from Power 10 donated $2500 and Sean Colgan pledged $5000 if guests at the dinner would match it…. that immediately raised another $8000! When the total approached $30,000 I revised my goal upwards to $45,000 since this was the total amount of loss the team incurred that was not covered by insurance. Dick and Lisa Cashin came forward and wrote a check for $15,000! Wow, $45,000! We now had enough to get the team back to where they were pre-hurricane but, practically speaking, still below the amount they needed to replace their normal fundraising program.
We were on a roll! Next the ad in IRN came out with our plea and the contributions climbed steadily. The ad space was donated by IRN and Mike Wilson of Idea34 Communications donated the ad design. Everyone was pulling for them! By the time we landed in New Orleans on Fat Tuesday, the total was approaching $53,000.
On Wednesday, Nancy, Lauren & I headed out to the Tulane compound, on the river they call a "boathouse" to talk with the rowers and present the team with the "check". In order to get there we drove from the relatively untouched French Quarter of the city, littered with beads and beer cans from the previous nights festivities, into the downtown area with it's empty skyscrapers with missing windows and navigated the urban streets with few working stop lights. We passed the Super Dome and it's marquee that brashly advertised a New Orleans Saints home game in September. As we left downtown we agreed that the sign on the Super Dome was either wishful thinking or an attempt to bolster hope to a demoralized citizenry. The Dome is the symbol of the worst side of government incompetence and they are trying to recast it as a sign of hope and recovery. The roof is repaired and painted white and work crews are inside scrubbing away the vestiges of a horrific situation. Whatever the city does to the Super Dome, it will be very difficult to bring the surrounding area back to a habitable state in any reasonable amount of time. Moving into the residential area we saw dried water-marks high up on the ravaged and unsalvageable houses. Not just a few, but EVERY house we saw was destroyed! This scene of devastation extended block after block, mile after mile, until we arrived at the Tulane compound.
There is a crudely lettered "Do Not Bulldoze" sign hung on the chain link fence pen that surrounds their boats. Frankly, if it weren’t for the "Do Not Bulldoze" sign, it would no doubt qualify for that very treatment! Despite the devastation all around them, the spirit of the team was palpable and it seemed that getting out on the water was great "therapy" for them. The morale of the rowers is fantastic, if a bit fragile. Every day they travel through a wasteland to get to the water. One of the rowers came up to us after the "ceremony" with tears running down her checks; she thanked us and we were moved. We sensed she was more grateful more for our caring than for the money.
After their row, we presented the team with the "check" and tried, as best we could, to tell them how much the entire rowing community was behind them. Later that day, Bob took us on a tour of other neighborhoods, including the infamous 9th ward. What devastation. The photos speak for themselves.
We left New Orleans on March 1, happy that we were able to bring hope to the Tulane crew but sobered by the state of the city. We want this grand old city to recover but fear it will take many more years that anyone currently suspects.
When we returned home, we found more contributions! The total is now over $60,000.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. You did a wonderful thing.
immediately raised another $8000! When the total approached $30,000 I revised my goal upwards to $45,000 since this was the total amount of loss the team incurred that was not covered by insurance. Dick and Lisa Cashin came forward and wrote a check for $15,000! Wow, $45,000! We now had enough to get the team back to where they were pre-hurricane but, practically speaking, still below the amount they needed to replace their normal fundraising program.
advertised a New Orleans Saints home game in September. As we left downtown we agreed that the sign on the Super Dome was either wishful thinking or an attempt to bolster hope to a demoralized citizenry. The Dome is the symbol of the worst side of government incompetence and they are trying to recast it as a sign of hope and recovery. The roof is repaired and painted white and work crews are inside scrubbing away the vestiges of a horrific situation. Whatever the city does to the Super Dome, it will be very difficult to bring the surrounding area back to a habitable state in any reasonable amount of time. Moving into the residential area we saw dried water-marks high up on the ravaged and unsalvageable houses. Not just a few, but EVERY house we saw was destroyed! This scene of devastation extended block after block, mile after mile, until we arrived at the Tulane compound.
"ceremony" with tears running down her checks; she thanked us and we were moved. We sensed she was more grateful more for our caring than for the money.
