Seasons Greetings from the BCA Board of Directors

Dear Beach Crew Alumni and Friends of Long Beach State Rowing:

As 2015 draws to a close, we want to express our gratitude to all of our alums, parents, and friends who make our efforts possible. This year brought us some great additions, including the dedications of the John D. Boyle 8+ and the Joan Lind Van Blom 8+. We also saw what happens when we lose someone so special from our community. We all came together. That’s what makes Beach Crew a part of our lives, and it’s one that will be a part of you forever.

The BCA continues to play an advisory role with the team’s annual operation. This year, we welcomed new additions to our coaching staff and have been grateful of their efforts and expertise. One addition we are proud of are the new corporate and business sponsorships, such as the Boathouse on the Bay restaurant. Many of these sponsors have committed annual support to our cause and we are grateful to have this support. The BCA continues to coordinate the Naples Island College Sprints and Head Race with USRowing. There will be some changes to this event next fall, including making it a one-day event and pushing it ahead in November. We continue to be a channel partner with The Rowing Channel (TRC), an effort launched in 2014 by a number of west coast higher-education institutions and the American Collegiate Rowing Association, to bring live coverage of our major events to you. The BCA Saturday Rows continue to be a hit, seeing new and familiar faces from time to time. This has been inspiring our community to get back in a boat. We were daring enough to enter an 8+ in the Men’s Alumni 8+ at the San Diego Crew Classic, only to be shattered by a broken rudder during the first heat.

In 2016, the BCA will be rolling out a new 501(c)3 non-profit corporation. It is currently in final development. This will enable us to get even more of every dollar that you give directly to our efforts and the team’s operations. As we move into the Fall, Beach Crew will enter its 60th racing season and there is movement for a “diamond jubilee” celebration. Our records of activity back in 1956 are still a blur, but we’ve been able to confirm things from our co-founder, Dr. Ludwig Spolyar, from these early days. Nonetheless, you will hear more about this next year as we get closer.

The campus announced that 90,000 students have applied for the Fall 2016 semester, and we are hoping to get a few excellent athletes from that pool. In our own efforts, over 200 people have inquired through BeachCrew.org/join directly to us about rowing at LBSU since we first launched the effort back in Fall 2013. There’s no doubt that people want to come to Long Beach. We definitely have something special here.

Before we sign off for the rest of the year, we’d like to remind everyone that if you have not updated your membership for this academic year, please consider that there is still time for a tax deductible donation to the BCA. Your support is making a huge difference in building a quality rowing team at LBSU. You can still send your $25 membership fee and any other contribution via http://beachcrew.org/alumni/donate

The team’s Spring 2016 schedule will be released in January. All of us wish you the best for the holidays and into the new year.

Go Beach!

Brandin Grams ’10
Director of Outreach