On December 27, a devastating fire at the Groveton boathouse in Robinson PA consumed the entire fleets of three rowing programs while burning their boathouse to the ground, with truly nothing left save for charred embers and twisted metal, as well as a couple trailers that were outside clear of the fire. The Pine Richland Crew Team, North Allegheny Rowing, and Pittsburgh Rowing Club lost 44 boats, all their oars, slings, riggers, and launch motors, as well as all miscellaneous equipment such as coxboxes, straps, life jackets, boat lights, trophies, and more - pretty much everything you would have in a boathouse.
No one was hurt in the fire, which is under investigation by multiple agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as potentially suspicious.
The total estimated loss will run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars; while much of the equipment was insured, the programs are still researching to what extent complete replacement will be covered, but most club officials believe that the cost of replacing all the equipment and rebuilding a boathouse will exceed what insurance will cover. All three programs face a long and arduous rebuilding process, not the least of which will be rebuilding their actual boathouse.
While the Pittsburgh Rowing Club is made up of individual members, many of whom lost personal equipment, the immediate focus is on the high school programs, both of which are club programs that are not supported directly by their school districts. The two teams included over 100 high school student-athletes.
"The biggest concern is how quickly the high school teams can rebuild," said Pittsburgh Rowing Club member Jim Garver, who lost his own boat in the fire. "We want to see the high school seniors get a chance to row in the spring season with their teammates."
(Garver also made today's Video of the Day, noting that "after the devastating fire at the Groveton boathouse, all I could do is make a lighter side video of why people should donate and help the High School rowing teams recover.")
The teams and their officers and supporters are determined, and are already getting help from rowing community members and organizations.
"We will have a spring season," Pine Richland Crew Team President Ellen Fowkes said. "We have had offers of support from various rowing clubs to use their equipment, dock time etc. Vespoli and Wintech have reached out to us and offered to help as well. We are planning to forge ahead as a team to make our spring season happen."
The two high school/junior programs are doing fundraisers through gofundme.com; complete information below. The Pittsburgh Rowing Club folks are focusing on supporting the high school programs at present; thanks to Jim Garver for the following information:
Pine Richland Crew
The Pine Richland Crew Team suffered a devastating loss on December 27, 2014 when our boathouse caught fire and destroyed all of our equipment. Fifteen boats, oars and other general supplies were lost in the fire. All of our equipment was purchased through our team fundraising efforts.
We are a (501c3) non-profit organization which can greatly benefit from your help. Our needs will extend beyond what our insurance will cover. Please consider making a donation today to help us recover from this horrible loss. We are hopeful that the forty rowers on our team will be able to compete this upcoming spring season.
http://www.gofundme.com/jeu490
Thank you for your support.
REBUILD! North Allegheny Rowing
The North Allegheny Rowing Boathouse and all contents were destroyed in a catastrophic fire on the night of Saturday, December 27th 2014. This is a sad and tragic event for our rowers who work hard and tirelessly to prepare for competition each spring and fall.
Many of our supporters have expressed interest in how they can help rebuild our program, and we are so thankful for this outpouring of support!
Coach Dan and Jordan have setup an initial fundraising campaign via GoFundMe.com for monetary donations. If you wish to contribute, the direct link to our campaign is:
http://www.gofundme.com/jegha0
Thank you all for your support!
--NARA Board, Coaches, Parents, Athletes and NA Athletics
Pittsburgh Rowing Club
We're sure by now many of you have heard about the devastating fire at the Groveton boathouse. While we are absorbing the tragedy and dealing with our own club's losses, we also recognize and are saddened by the impact this has on the high school programs with whom we share the boathouse. We wish for a quick recovery and rebuilding process, especially for the juniors and their upcoming spring season.
We want to spread the message that we choose to view this as a fresh beginning; we will take the necessary steps to replace the boats and fully intend to be rowing at the same location come spring.
We will keep you abreast of any future activities that would benefit from your support. Let's do everything we can to strengthen the Groveton rowing community.
Jim Garver's video, which pans across the boathouse site giving a very clear and painful look at the extent of the fire:
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01/05/2015 1:17:00 PM