As many of you know, the project to construct a new U.B.C. Rowing shell house is nearing completion. The formal name for the new site is the UBC John M S Lecky Boathouse. What once appeared an impossible dream, mired in red tape, complicated special interest groups and lack of real tangible support, will soon be a living, breathing, tangible reality taking up residence on a beautiful bend in the Fraser River, in Richmond, B.C. The completion of this near 10 year goal has been realised in large part to the singular will and determination of Head Coach Mike Pearce. Of course, there have been many other helpers along the way, namely the executive team of George Hungerford, Jane Hungerford, Roy MacIntosh, Martin Gifford, Doug Robinson and Rod Hoffmeister who have been instrumental in making this happen. But, I want to personally highlight that without Mike's dogged persistance, the will in others, who have been so crucial in the project moving forward, would never have been stirred into action. Congratulations Mike!
The site is truly remarkable and really prompts the question: why has this not happened before? The dyke in Richmond, complete with cycling path, provides a vantage point on rowing that I can not think any other site in Canada shares, save perhaps Welland Canal, and we all know how we feel about Welland Canal! With the North Shore moutains setting an inspiring backdrop one can not help but feel their enthusiasm for the sport of rowing that has given us all so much swell in anticipation of such an outstanding achievement: a brand new shell house!
Indeed, this letter is intended to encourage you to be a tangible supporter of this great venture. To share in some small way, through your donation, no matter of what size, the sense of accomplishment in the construction of this building. I believe whole heartedly that it is our time, as key alumni, to put our money where our hearts are and stir ourselves into action in support of the new U.B.C. Boathouse.
One of my good friends, and fellow supporter, Lawrence Varga put it simply that (I am paraphrasing) "we may not have had the best coaching, equipment, nor boathouse when we were at UBC, but it would be nice for other guys (and gals!) to have a better crack at things, wouldn't it!" We had what we had, and we did the best we could with it. But this is not about us, it is about the future of something that we all are a part of and that is the important tone to strike. This is about community and legacy. This is our chance to be a part of a future gift to rowers yet to be.
I know that some of you may be thinking: whatever I got from rowing, I got because I invested myself and my energies. That is most certainly true, rowing is largely a grass roots sport in Canada, and few of us had any support at all aside from the encouragememt of our great families and friends. And we all "put aside" our lives in some way in order to take part in something that held some intrinsic value for us. But you can never take away the fact that rowing provided us with a channel, a format, an arena through which we could inspire in yourselves the virtues that we personally felt when rowing. You choose to take away from your experiences as a rower what you will. However, I challenge us as a group, now, to have the presense of mind to recognise that this gift in some small way may enable another individual to take something away from rowing that will continue to inspire them in that indescribable way that only rowing can . In that way the sport has inspired you.
I ask you now, to take a moment to think of all the people you know today, who you count as your friends, your family, in fact your extended community, that you owe in whole or in part to U.B.C. Rowing. Many of whom, may have met elsewhere, but the path to that elsewhere was laid in U.B.C. Rowing stones. I ask you now, is this not a time in your life to ackowledge how much rowing has done for you?
Thank you sincerely for your time and consideration,
Shawn "Rupie" Walsh
p.s. more specific information and pledge for can be found on the following website:
http://www.ubcgoldforlife.com/
Mike Pearce can be reached by dialing 778-862-5654
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