Come Revel in CrewFeast 2011: Orcas Island Rowing's Annual Club Dinner

Coaches Tina Brown and Craig Canine Row at Last Year's Alumni Regatta

Orcas Island Rowing Club invites all to revel with them in their once a year celebration of all things Orcas and rowing. They call the evening “CrewFeast.” It’s an evening of feasting and entertainment being held at the Camp Orkila dining lodge this time. Gene Nery & Martin Lund will help the revelation reach a new resonance with their magical music. There will be a dance floor for those who want to ‘shake a leg’ to the comely tunes. It will be an evening of pure pleasure with feasting, regaling, dancing and more all in the historic lodge around a roaring fire.

The event takes place on Saturday April 2nd from 6 to 9 p.m. There is free child care available and tickets are $35 each. CrewFeast is a good deal, but it is also the primary fund raiser for the rowing club. Each year they need about $5,000 more than they collect in fees from the junior rowers just to keep the program running without buying any boats, oars or major equipment. That is just to keep the program running and get the kids too and from the regattas. And they do have to buy those big tickets items like boats and oars occasionally. They won’t make enough from ticket sales alone. So the club would appreciate additional donations from any that can afford it.

The same day as the evening revelry there is a rowing regatta on Cascade Lake. The “Alumni Regatta” is open to all rowers, but there is an especially warm welcome to alumni of the junior rowing program. This annual regatta is a series of short sprint races. Each race is a single length of Cascade Lake, a mere 1000 meters. It’s a hard distance to race over. You have to maintain good form and a heart racing pace for about 4 minutes to win one of those races; longer to lose. The finish line is right by the boathouse and the dock, so it is a good opportunity to see what rowing regattas are all about. The racing starts at 10:00 a.m. and should be wrapped up within two hours by noon. There will be hot drinks and snacks available.

Contact Martin Taylor martin@ednagallery.com or 360.376.6935 for reservations and information or buy tickets online at the rowing club’s web site: www.orcasislandrowing.org. Alternatively send your contact info and payment to :