The National Rowing Foundation (NRF), together with USRowing (Princeton, N.J.) today announced the launch of the Row to Tokyo Million Dollar Challenge Campaign. The Challenge runs through June 30, 2020 and it is a dollar for dollar matching grant, up to $500,000, sponsored by a generous group of NRF donors.
“This is an Olympic year and the USA has exceptional athletes working hard to be the best in the world. We want to ensure that the athletes have the funds they need to take advantage of additional coaching resources, training opportunities, and most importantly international racing at World Cup II (May 1-3) and World Cup III (May 17 – 19),” said NRF Co-Chair Marcia Hooper.
Qualifying gifts include all donations this year above what a donor gave last year, all donations from first time supporters, and any donations from donors that did not support the NRF in 2019. Gifts will be matched until June 30 or until the $500,000 matching pool has been fully activated. Contributions can be made online through the special giving link: https://give.classy.org/RowtoTokyo.
The campaign was inspired and led by NRF board member Charles (Chuck) Pieper, with additional donations by others, including the Rogers Family Foundation, Hansjörg Wyss and Andrew McLane. These donors are hoping their challenge inspires others to ensure that USA athletes receive the resources they need to be prepared and successful at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The U.S. team is scheduled to be named on June 3 and will leave for the Olympic Games on July 12.
“Our athletes have done their part, now it is time for us to do ours,” said Pieper. “This will be a challenging Olympics due to location and the incredibly competitive field. As the only country at the Games without ANY government funding, it is up to the American rowing community to make sure that our athletes have what they need to ensure podium finishes.”
“We thank Chuck and the others in the matching donor pool for their generosity, vision and commitment to our athletes,” said NRF Co-Chairs Jamie Koven and Marcia Hooper. “We believe their actions will inspire others to be a part of the excitement that comes with supporting our Olympic Team. In an Olympic year, our athletes are asked to put everything on the line. We are asking our donors to stretch and work together to support Team USA in this endeavor.”
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“Donors to this campaign will know that their gift will have double the impact and make a significant difference for our athletes,” Executive Director Tracy Brown added. Funds raised through this Challenge are above and beyond the annual grant that the NRF provides to USRowing to support Team USA.
About the National Rowing Foundation
The National Rowing Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to raising funds to support the U.S. National Rowing Teams. Founded in 1966, the NRF has been supporting Olympic and world championship athletes for more than five decades. The funds raised support year-round training, development, and competition. www.natrowing.org
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For additional Information: National Rowing Foundation Executive Director Tracy Brown (617) 803-8660. E-mail: tracy@natrowing.org