Stonington High Crew is Getting a New Boathouse!

A release from Stonington High School Crew brings good news:

Friends of Stonington Crew hosted its first ever-fundraising dinner Friday Nov. 8, raising money to buy equipment for the team and announcing that an agreement has been reached for the team to build its own boathouse.

The dinner at Latitude 41 at Mystic Seaport was attended by 100 people. Laurie Johnstone was the chair of the event. It was the first such fundraiser the team’s boosters’ had hosted, and those involved were thrilled with the results.

“This is a wonderful night,” Head Coach Mike O’Neill told the room. “Thank you all for your generosity. I have flipped a lot of pancakes and sold a lot of submarine sandwiches in my eight years with the team, and this is better.”

O’Neill announced that an agreement has been reached for the purchase of 123 Greenmanville Ave. in Mystic, a riverfront piece of property just north of Mystic Seaport. The property is owned by Fred and George Baumgarten. O’Neill said he has been in talks with the Baumgartens for four years. The brothers have agreed to take the property off the market in order to give Friends of Stonington Crew a chance to purchase the land. They have also agreed to gift a large percentage of the appraised value of the property to the team.  

Since it began, Stonington Crew has received limited funding from Stonington Public Schools, receiving only stipends for one full- and two half-time coaches. The team is supported through donations, sponsors and the fundraising efforts of Friends of Stonington Crew. Each team member pays $200 annually to participate, which is about half the total cost per athlete. This year the school department will provide $7,000 for transportation costs.

Mystic Seaport has hosted the team since its inception. Having its own boathouse will allow the team to be a “year-round” sport, O’Neill said. “It will also allow us to join efforts with recreational and masters rowing programs in the area. The Seaport has been wonderful to us,” he said, but the team couldn’t use the property during the summer months, and needs a permanent home for $250,000-plus in equipment it uses in the program.

O’Neill said the next step is to form a committee to oversee the purchase of the property and the construction the boathouse. He said Friends of Stonington Crew have been in talks with town and state officials to provide some funding. Friends of Stonington Crew and a Boat House Committee plan to spend the next few months working with the Baumgarten brothers, town and state officials, and private donors to put together a final deal.

The goal is to break ground in 2015. 

About Stonington Crew:

Founded in 1998, 186 rowers have graduated the program, which is one of 11 in the state.

25 crew graduates have received full or partial scholarships to college.

43 graduates have gone on to row at Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, Brown, Duke, Columbia, Tufts, Fordham and many more.

10-15 percent of the total student body at SHS participate in crew, with 85 boys and girls participating in 2013.