Rowers Pull Together To Benefit Nyack Center

The motto, maxim, truth if you will—"Pull With Purpose"—of the Nyack-based River Rowing Association was clearly on display on Saturday.

The vivid display was not witnessed on the sun-drenched waters of the Hudson River but indoors at the Nyack Center.

Over the course of a two-hour period, the Nyack Center was alive with rowers of all ages, sizes, and skill levels, as the community-oriented organization combined for the fifth time with the RRA for an aptly labeled “Pull With Purpose” row-a-thon.

Proceeds from the event are once again earmarked to support the various community programs offered by Nyack Center.

“It’s a critical community resource for Nyack,” Ivan Rudolph-Shabinsky, RRA president, was quoted as saying. “We’re thrilled to be Pulling With Purpose again for the Nyack Center.”

As described in a joint release, the event highlighted teams of five or more row on indoor rowing machines (ergometers), in relay fashion, for two hours.

On Saturday, 15 of the 16 teams registered to compete for the highest overall meters rowers, with the RRA’s very own “Smokey Joes” edging the field with a total of 37,200 meters.

Ivan-Rudolph Shabinsky, president of the RRA board, felt this year’s event—which drew an estimated 100 rowers and another 50 in various rooting sections—was the best ever.

“It was great, excellent, fantastic,” Shabinsky noted.

Shabinsky’s team was comprised of RRA director Peter Klose, Joe DeVoe, Brad Wieners, and a newcomer to the coaching staff, by way of Ubekistan, Oksana Timbalova—a former Soviet Union national team member.

Approximately a third of the rowers who took part on Saturday were students, estimated Shabinsky, who was additionally pleased that some 12-13 were from Row New York, an organization dedicated to New York City students in grades 6-12 who might otherwise not be exposed to the sport.

“They had two teams, I was really excited about that,” Shabinsky said, adding of particular importance that 100 percent of Row New York graduates have gone on to college.

“They cater to Public High Schools in the city, mostly Queens, and have about 500-600 (students) in the program,” he said.

Saturday’s other triumphant performance was turned in by the Nyack Village Board team, finishing first in terms of the most revenue raised for the Nyack Center.

“That’s great news, I didn’t know that,” enthused Nyack Mayor Richard Kavesh, a non-competitive rower who, on Sunday, said he was still “sore over my whole body. But it’s for a great cause.”

Kavesh, in office since Jan. 1, 2010, judged the entire Village Board team as performing very well, but pointed especially to the “awesome performances” of Steve Knowlton and Doug Foster who are not, as one might think, competitive rowers.

“They’re just in great shape,” said the Mayor.

The Village Board contingent included the mother-son duo of Catherine and Owen Friesen; Jen White; Elyse Berg; Glenn Keane; and, Alan Englander.

The RRA and the Nyack Center are non-profit organizations whose mission is to improve the lives of the residents in Nyack, and in the surrounding communities.

Sue DeMocker, executive director at the RRA, said that among the joint operations envisioned in the coming months are several youth development programs.

For further information about the Nyack Center contact www.nyackcenter.org; for information concerning the RRA contact www.riverrowing.org.