Team raises money for charity
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 01/28/2008
Sara Conn | Campus Editor
Purdue's Men's Crew team rowed in the middle of the Tippecanoe Mall Saturday afternoon.
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The Purdue Crew Team raised $1,900 for charity in it's third annual Row-a-thon.
Club members rowed for 11 hours Saturday in the middle of Tippecanoe Mall. Thirty machines littered the mall entrance to Dick's Sporting Goods. Athletes dripped in sweat as curious mall patrons looked on. The Row-a-thon is a partnership between Lafayette Urban Ministries and Purdue Crew. According to Rebecca Lipasek, a senior in the College of Agriculture and club president, the Row-a-thon raises money for the Emergency Relief Fund which assists needy families who cannot cover the cost of utilities.
One hundred and twenty athletes participated in the event, rowing in three-hour-long shifts. Andrew Glassman, a sophomore in the College of Mechanical Engineering, said the event is similar to a Saturday morning practice for the team. The Purdue Crew tries to give back to the community as much as possible, he said.
"We try to get as many people as we can to come and look and gawk at us," Glassman said. Glassman stood in front of the club's eight man boat. Several trophies displayed on the boat demonstrated the club's success. The boat and oars were donations and, according to Glassman, it is the expertise of the coaches that keeps the boats in working condition.