A record 516 rowers from 19 Puget Sound area rowing clubs and members of the gold medal winning U.S. women's eight-oared crew from the Beijing Olympic Games, teamed-up to raise over $83,000 in the fight against breast cancer Sunday morning at Seattle's annual Row for the Cure® regatta on Lake Union. The 4.5 kilometer regatta, one of the 19 Row for the Cure® events in the U.S. and one in Germany benefiting local affiliates of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, helped kick-off breast cancer awareness month in October.

"What you do on the water, out of your love for rowing, translates into saving lives," said Mona Locke, executive director of the Puget Sound Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and former first lady of the State of Washington, addressing Row for the Cure® participants following Sunday's regatta. "It takes each and every one of us to make a difference fighting breast cancer."

Participants from local rowing clubs were asked to raise $150 - the basic cost of a mammogram as a part of their participation in the event. "Combined with contributions from our Starbucks, Google and Lane Powell participants, and additional pledges expected through the end of September, we hope to reach the $97,000 raised last year," said Penny Lewis, a Row for the Cure® organizer.

Among the crews taking strokes on Lake Union were two boats of Olympians, including gold medalists from both last month's Beijing Games and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, which teamed-up with local breast cancer survivors.

"It's amazing what we just did with full-fledged champions of beating cancer and champions of the world," said Mary Whipple (USA 2008, Sacramento, Calif.), a Beijing Olympic gold medalist who coxed one of two crews with Olympians and breast cancer survivors. "Just like it takes a full team to win gold, the rowing community is coming together as a team to beat breast cancer."

Whipple's crew of Bonnie Garmus (Green Lake Crew, Seattle, Wash.), Susan Francia (USA 2008, Abington, Pa.), Penny Lewis (Martha's Moms Rowing Club, Seattle, Wash.), Sam Magee (USA 2004, Simsbury, Conn.), Celeste McDonell (Green Lake Crew, Seattle, Wash.), Poo Penrose (Martha's Moms Rowing Club, Seattle, Wash.), Susan Stocking (Mt. Baker Rowing Club, Seattle, Wash.), Shyril O'Steen (USA 1984, Seattle, Wash.) won the Olympians/Survivors event in 18 minutes, 10.5 seconds.

A second Olympians/Survivors crew of Betsy Beard Stillings (USA 1984, Seattle, Wash.) coxswain of the last U.S. women's eight to win Olympic gold prior to the Beijing Games, Kristi Norelius (USA 1984, Olympia, Wash.), Portia McGee (USA 2008, Seattle, Wash.), Barbara Knight (Pocock Rowing Center, Seattle, Wash.), Chris Reece (Sammamish Rowing Association, Woodinville, Wash.), Connie Hoover (Green Lake Crew, Seattle, Wash.), Julie Smith (Martha's Moms Rowing Club, Seattle, Wash.), Patti Jonas (Sammamish Rowing Association, Kirkland, Wash.), Lia Pernell (USA 2008, Seattle, Wash) finished second in 18 minutes, 16.6 seconds.

"It's an honor to wear both the hat of an Olympian and a survivor. Both take a tremendous amount of tenacity," said Norelius, who won gold at the 1984 Games and later made it through breast cancer. "My cancer was caught at an early stage - thank goodness. The more visible the message (that early detection can save lives), the more likely that people will make it a part of their lifestyle. Events like this do that. Getting a regular mammogram should be as normal as brushing your teeth."

Seattle's Row for the Cure® is one of 50 third-party events that take place each year in the Seattle-area benefiting the Puget Sound Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Third-party events, which are organized by groups other than Susan G. Komen for the Cure, include activities such as Seahawks Football 101, fashion shows, concerts, rodeos and an ultra-marathon run. In the last year, third party events of the Puget Sound Affiliate have raised over $400,000 in the fight against breast cancer. Row for the Cure is one of the top three non-corporate, all-volunteer coordinated third-party events benefiting the Puget Sound Affiliate.

Proceeds from each Row for the Cure® benefit the local affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, where 75 percent of the money raised stays in the community for education and treatment of breast cancer. The remaining 25 percent of monies raised support national breast cancer research projects.

The public can sponsor a rower or donate online by logging on to http://www.rowforthecure.com/cities/seattle.htm

About Row for the Cure®

Row for the Cure® (www.RowForTheCure.com) regattas are third-party events benefiting local affiliates of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. Since the regatta's inception in 1994 on Portland's Willamette River, Row for the Cure® has expanded to over 19 cities, raising over $800,000 in the fight to eradicate breast cancer as a life threatening disease. Seattle Row for the Cure is made possible by USRowing, Google, Starbucks, H.D. Fowler Company, Seattle Breast Center at Northwest Hospital, Lane Powell Attorneys and Counselors, Pocock Racing Shells, Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland, Sweeney Conrad P.S., Skellenger Bender P.S., Columbia Bank, Foss Maritime Company, Shoreline Bank, SHKS Architects and US Bank.

About Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Susan G. Komen for the Cure was founded on a promise made between two sisters - Susan Goodman Komen and Nancy Goodman Brinker. Suzy was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1978, a time when little was known about the disease and it was rarely discussed in public. Before she died at the age of 36, Suzy asked her sister to do everything possible to bring an end to breast cancer. Nancy kept her promise by establishing the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in 1982 in Suzy's memory. The organization recently changed its name to Susan G. Komen for the Cure in honor of its 25th anniversary and with this, a renewed promise to find the cures for breast cancer.

Row for the Cure Top Fundraisers

Most Donations by an Individual: Ronni Peterson, Pocock Rowing Center (Seattle) $3,202

Most Donations by a Corporate Group: Starbucks partners (Seattle), $5,975

Most Donations by Rowing Club: Martha's Moms Rowing Club (Seattle) $7,445

Row for the Cure Winners

Olympian / Survivors Eights USA (Whipple)

Tribal Canoe Center for Wooden Boats (Seattle)

Women's Junior Eight Holy Names Academy (Seattle)

Women's Masters Eight ` Martha's Moms Rowing Club (Seattle)

Women's Masters Novice Eight Lake Washington Rowing Club (Seattle)

Women's Junior Four with Coxswain Sammamish Rowing Association (Redmond)

Women's Masters Four with Coxswain Sammamish Rowing Association (Redmond)

Women's Masters Quadruple Sculls Lake Union Crew (Seattle)

Women's Junior Quadruple Sculls Pocock Rowing Center (Seattle)

Women's Masters Quadruple Sculls Union Bay Rowing Club (Seattle)

Women's Open Double Sculls Sammamish Rowing Association (Redmond)

Women's Masters Double Sculls Pocock Rowing Center (Seattle)

Women's Open Single Sculls Abby Broughton, Pocock Rowing Center (Seattle)

Women's Masters Single Sculls Lake Union Crew (Seattle)

Men's Junior Eight Everett Rowing Association (Everett)

Men's Masters Eight Pocock Rowing Center (Seattle)

Men's Junior Four with Coxswain Lake Union Crew (Seattle)

Men's Masters Four with Coxswain Sammamish Rowing Association (Redmond)

Men's Masters Quadruple Sculls Mount Baker Rowing Club (Seattle)

Men's Open Double Sculls Lake Union Crew (Seattle)

Men's Open Single Sculls Tyler Peterson, Lake Washington Rowing Club (Seattle)

Men's Masters Single Sculls Robert Meenk, Olympia Area Rowing (Seattle)

Mixed Masters Eight Pocock Rowing Center (Seattle)

Mixed Masters Novice Eight Lake Union Crew (Seattle)

Mixed Masters Four with Coxswain Sammamish Rowing Association (Seattle)

Mixed Open Double Sculls Lake Washington Rowing Club (Seattle)

Mixed Masters Double Sculls Lake Union Crew (Seattle)