Crew members offer help
with chores
By Lynde Smith
Staff
Writer
The Purdue crew will be picking up rakes instead
of oars the next few weekends for their annual "Rent-a-Rower" fundraiser.
For $50 per rower for five hours' work, crew members
will provide the labor for jobs such as cleaning out basements or garages,
raking, cleaning gutters, painting or almost any other job that someone
may need done, said Kristina Nickles, a fourth-year member of the crew
and a senior in the School of Technology.
The rowers can be rented this Sunday, Nov. 4 and
on Nov. 10. The crew members also worked on Sept. 29.
Housework and yard work are not the only jobs the
members can do. Nickles said that she once helped cater a party where
they acted as servers and then helped clean up afterwards.
Nickles also said that members have thrown wires
out of a backyard ditch before.
Jeff Brown, a third-year member of Purdue crew
and a senior in the Schools of Engineering, said that once he and others
had to move a homemade grand piano.
"It took eight varsity men to move it," said Brown.
Katherine Quillin, a fourth year crew member and
a senior in the Schools of Engineering, said the team once had to build
a rock wall.
The "Rent-a-Rower" project is usually made available
only to faculty members, but Nickles said this year it's being opened
up to anyone who would like to rent a crew member.
"It is a great way to meet the faculty at Purdue
and raise money at the same time," said Brown. "It is one of the biggest
fundraisers that any organization has at Purdue."
"We anticipate to raise around $20,000 this year,"
said Nickles.
She said there are about 170 crew members participating
in the fundraiser and the money will go to traveling expenses, regattas
and equipment for the team.
Michael Plesniak, a professor in mechanical engineering,
has been renting rowers for the past several years to help with his
yard work, window washing and raking.
"I think it is a great program," said Plesniak.
"I am pleased with the people that have come. They have always been
hardworking."
Quillin said the fundraiser is actually fun.
"You get to know the other team members and you
get to interact with the faculty," she said.
Nickles said crew members would provide the labor
if the renter provides the equipment for the job that needs to be done.
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