Gifts to fund boathouse, scholarships and operations

November 13, 2007 -Port of Los Angeles, CA – Throughout its history, the Men’s Crew at the University of southern California has faced a constant battle for survival. Today, that challenge just to exist remains and alumni, coaches and rowers alike now say it is time to establish ‘The Permanent Solution.’

Despite gold medal wins in rowing at the 1956 and 1964 Olympic Games and a bronze in 1960, the Men’s Crew has always existed on a shoestring budget and seen its boathouse moved from one location to another in the Port of Los Angeles.

In half a century the team has operated from five different sites in the Port beginning at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro in 1949 before shifting to various temporary locations, such as Captain Donohue’s tug boat terminal, and finally to Wilmington where the team is camped outside the USC Women’s Boathouse on a dirt patch of land leased by the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The Permanent Solution

Crew Board Directors, made up of alumni, coaches’ current students and USC administrators, have unveiled a groundbreaking initiative toward providing a permanent solution for the storied crew’s futility. The initiative entitled The Permanent Solution for USC Men’s Crew is a two-part development program focusing on raising $500,000 in 2008 Annual Giving and accompanying this with a BOATHOUSE & SCHOLARSHIP CAMPAIGN.

Architectural rendition of the University of British Columbia's floating boathouse.

Included in this investment will be an endowment to fund coaching salaries, an area in which the men’s rowing program significantly trails the rest of the PAC-10 conference. Like the endowment of professorships, these positions represent the highest honor a coach can achieve.

The $500,000 Annual Giving Campaign is off to a solid start with $200,000 already raised during the first two-month “quiet period” before the campaign was announced, reports crew treasurer Nicholas Babikian.

In addition, Babikian says the program rolled over $143,000 in funds from last season. “Successfully raising another $300K will allow us to fund operations, scholarships, travel to England’s Henley Royal Regatta and take plans directly to the Port of Los Angeles for a new USC Boathouse in 2008.”

Architectural rendition of the University of British Columbia's floating boathouse.

The Crews boathouse plans call for a floating facility that includes a restaurant and short-term docks for boaters in close proximity to the World Cruise terminal. Similar boathouses with commercial opportunities have already been constructed in AUSTRALIA and CANADA.

“Great cities support great universities and the University of Southern California has a great crew program that needs your help,” said USC Head Coach Gene Kininmonth in a impassioned plea to the L.A. Board of Harbor Commissioners at a public meeting in early 2006. “Our Crew Board will shortly be returning to the harbor commissioners and executive staff with a formal proposal that will benefit both USC, the image of the Port and the local community.”

“This is a plan that can be accomplished,” says Jack Schumacher ’56 who chairs the Crew Board at its quarterly meetings. “Half a century ago we were beating top PAC-10 crews such as UC Berkeley and Stanford and sending our oarsmen across the globe to win medals at the Olympic Games. USC is an even greater University today and so there is no reason why we can not float one of the best college rowing teams in the world.”

Mr. Schumacher requests all alumni consider taking advantage of recent laws that allow TAX-FREE IRA ROLLOVERS TO NON PROFITS such as USC.

To contribute to 2008 Men’s Crew Annual Giving campaign please make your check payable to “USC Men’s Crew” or “University of Southern California” and mail your check to:

Attn: Coach Gene Kininmonth
USC Men’s Crew
1026 W. 34th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90089-2500

Donors wishing to contribute larger gifts to help fund the Boathouse & Scholarship Campaign should consider estate planning issues and contact either:

Head Coach
Gene Kininmonth
310) 617-3574
genek@usctrojans.com

Crew Board Chair
Jack Schumacher ‘56
(310) 471-1250
Jjschumas@aol.com

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