Crewfeast 2010, a "Fun-Raiser" on March 6

Championship 1952 USA Quad crew with their bronze Olympic medals: Phil Leanderson, Carl Lovsted, Al Ulbrickson, Richard Wahlstrom & Albert Rossi. Ulbrickson will speak at the Orcas Island Rowing Association's Annual Banquet on

“Crewfeast” is the new name of Orcas Island Rowing Club’s annual banquet. The banquet on March 6 is a fund raiser but it’s more a celebration for the club, says organizer Martin Taylor — “an opportunity to get together and socialize with the extended friends, family and community of the club.”

The evening will open with appetizers and socializing accompanied by a newly formed Orcas jazz band, “The Accidental Quartet”. Featuring Chris Waage on guitar, Craig Canine on trumpet, Randy Jezierski on drums and Lizz Hanks on bass.

A four course dinner will be served. Jessie Taylor, the new owner, manager and chef at Lulu’s Pasta Rustica in Eastsound, will be helping out the club providing the entree’s and appetizers. Haggen’s grocery store is helping by providing deserts, wine and beer for the event. There will be a variety of after dinner entertainment including musical pieces by the Accidentals, a talk by an Island resident and bronze medal winning rower from the 1952 Helsinki games Al Ulbricksen, and some comic improv by the junior crew team.

Taylor says that although the club is looking for donations, the fund raising efforts will be limited to only 6 sentences asking folks to give what they can afford. So they are calling this event a “fun-raiser.”
Not only was Al Ulbricksen an Olympic medal winner, but his father, Al Senior, was the most famous coach of the renowned Husky rowing team at University of Washington. Al senior helped create west-coast rowing in the 1930s-50s as head UW rowing coach for 32 years.

Two other members of the Helsinki bronze medal crew are Seattle residents with strong Orcas ties: Carl Lovsted and Al Rossi. Unfortunately they cannot attend the event but they will be working with the club in the future to help expand and improve the rowing programs for youth and adults.

The same day as the evening dinner, OIRA is holding an  “equally informal but much more energetic event” in the morning. At 10 a.m., they will host the annual “Alumni Regatta” at the boathouse at the south end of Cascade Lake. The event is open to experienced rowers of all ages, but there is a special welcome to alumni of the junior rowing program.

“March 6th will be a full day for the club and a great opportunity to see what rowing is all about and help the club celebrate Orcas and the great traditions of NW rowing,” says Taylor. Contact him to make a reservation for the dinner: martin@ednagallery.com, 376.6935,  or at 455 Eastsound Shores Road, Eastsound, WA, 98245. Limited number of seats available.