Cleveland Rowing Foundation (CRF) currently oversees the only boathouse in Northeast Ohio which is the umbrella organization to nine high schools, collegiate and adult rowing programs which serves nearly 850 rowers and dragon boat racers.

Now that Casino Gambling has passed, remaining in our current boathouse appears NOT to be an option. Our current site is likely to be developed into a casino, so we must secure our own property or rowing in Cleveland may cease to exist.

Rivergate Park:

Rivergate Park will serve as a centerpiece for the revitalization of the Cuyahoga River. In addition to being a permanent home for rowing, the vision of Rivergate Park will include biking, kayaking and dragon boat racing, as well as hiking and bird watching, making it a multi-faceted recreation destination along the Cuyahoga.

Rivergate Park facilities will complement and enhance surrounding public spaces such as Canal Basin Park, the Towpath Trail and a proposed state-of-the-art skateboard park.

CRF's prospective new home, provides a unique opportunity to reclaim a vacant and industrialized area and regenerate and revitalize it to an environmentally friendly public space in the Flats.

The Rivergate Park project was featured prominently on Mayor Jackson's Waterfront Tour in September 2009, and has received favorable press from Crains Cleveland Business.

This project is unprecedented in its immediate effect in implementing Cleveland’s vision to reposition the city as a Green City on a Blue Lake by providing access to Cleveland's waterfront. Steven Litt of the Cleveland Plain Dealer states "the proposal...is an absolute no-brainer. It deserves quick and enthusiastic community support."

What is Being Done:

CRF must raise $3.6 million ($3.2M for site acquisition and $.4M for renovations) to make this dream a reality! The CRF Capital Campaign team has a multi-faceted approach to reach our goal:

• Grant writing: A team of experienced grant writers is working hard to secure funding from area Foundations.
• Corporate Campaign: Our team is talking to area corporations and organizations to seek funding. Contact Theresa Gang if your company has a philanthropic department.
• Large donations: Our team is talking to large donors about our project; the $250,000 challenge grant is the result of these efforts!
• Member donations: CRF is actively soliciting donations from members of all CRF programs, and across the community.
• Fundraising Events: Fun events such as Guest Bartender nights and the Bow Ball are being planned! Contact Anna Chanakas (achanakas@yahoo.com) if you have fundraising ideas or contacts.

The Time to Give is NOW:

• Your donation is 100% tax deductible! CRF is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. Many area companies will match your donation, please check with your company’s donation policy.
• Your donation will ONLY be used for the CRF Capital campaign. In the unlikely event that this purchase does not take place, your donation will be returned in full!

Support Letters:

• 41 North Kayak Adventures (Cleveland, OH)



• Baldwin Wallace College (Cleveland, OH)



• Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, OH)



• City of Cleveland – Robert Brown, Planning Director (Cleveland, OH)



• City of Cleveland - Mayor Frank Jackson, support letter to The Cleveland Foundation (Cleveland, OH)



• City of Cleveland - Mayor Frank Jackson, support letter to The George Gund Foundation (Cleveland, OH)



• Cleveland Dragon Boat Association (Cleveland, OH)



• Cleveland MetroParks (Cleveland, OH)



• Cleveland Metropolitan School District (Cleveland, OH)



• Cleveland Scholarship Programs (Cleveland, OH)



• Cleveland Scholastic Rowing Association (CSRA) (Cleveland, OH)



• Cleveland State University (Cleveland, OH)



• Councilman Joe Cimperman (Cleveland, OH)



• Cuyahoga River - Remedial Action Plan (Jim White) (Cleveland, OH)



• Earth Day Coalition (Cleveland, OH)



• Flats Oxbow Association (Cleveland, OH)



• Friends of the Crooked River (Cleveland, OH)



• Green City, Blue Lake (Cleveland, OH)



• Harbor Master (Cleveland, OH)



• Hawken School (Cleveland, OH)



• John Carroll University (Cleveland, OH)



• Ohio Canal Corridor (Cleveland, OH)



• Ohio City Bicycle Co-Op, in support of the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund (Cleveland, OH)



• Ohio City Bicycle Co-Op, in support of Rivergate Park (Cleveland, OH)



• ParkWorks, in support of Rivergate Park (Cleveland, OH)



• ParkWorks, in support of the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund (Cleveland, OH)



• Port of Cleveland (Cleveland, OH)



• Shaker Heights High School Crew (Cleveland, OH)



• St. Ignatius High School Crew (Cleveland, OH)



• Synergy Foundation (Cleveland, OH)



• Trust for Public Land (Cleveland, OH)



• US Rowing (Princeton, NJ)



• Wendy Park Foundation (Cleveland, OH)



• Western Reserve Rowing Association (Cleveland, OH)

In the News:

• YouTube Video compliation of George Cuddy's Interview compiled by "wrrawebmaster", hosted by The Munch in the Morning Show, WKNR, ESPN in Cleveland (07/2/2010 :: Cleveland, OH)



• "Rivergate Park project receives $200,000 from George Gund Foundation, bringing the week's total donations to $750,000" by Steven Litt, The Plain Dealer (07/1/2010 :: Cleveland, OH)



• "Grants from Cleveland Foundation and Peter Lewis boost plans for Rivergate Gate Park in Cleveland" by Steven Litt, The Plain Dealer (06/29/2010 :: Cleveland, OH)



• "Cleveland Skateboard Park" Public Square Group (06/01/2010 :: Cleveland, OH)



• "Rivergate Park — Sustainability at Work in the Cleveland Flats" by Anna Chanakas, published by EcoWatch (06/01/2010 :: Cleveland, OH)



• "Cleveland Mayor Jackson lays out long-range plan for city's harbor, river banks" by Jay Miller, Crain's Cleveland Business (09/10/2009 :: Cleveland, OH)



• "Rowers' Group May Be Going Places" by Stan Bullard, Crain's Cleveland Business (09/21/2009 :: Cleveland, OH)



• Support Letter from Bill Pickard, George Pocock Rowing Foundation (12/16/2009 :: Seattle, WA)



• "Cleveland Rowing Foundation plan for Rivergate Park on the Cuyahoga River deserves support" by Steven Litt, The Plain Dealer (12/16/2009 :: Cleveland, OH)



• "Status Report: NEO’s Major Projects" hosted by Dan Moulthrop, NPR (12/21/2009 :: Cleveland, OH)



• "Making the Cuy River accessible" by Thomas Mulready, CoolCleveland.com (12/23/2009 :: Cleveland, OH)



• "Casino Row-yale, New casino to displace Case [Western Reserve University] Crew" by Greg Meyer, The Observer (01/22/2010 :: Cleveland, OH)



• "Bow Ball 2010" by Thomas Mulready, CoolCleveland.com (01/27/2010 :: Cleveland, OH)



• 2010 Hammer Press Release submitted by the Cleveland Rowing Foundation (02/05/2010 :: Cleveland, OH)



• "Cleveland Rowing Foundation's Bow Ball" by Kathleen Murphy Colan, The Plain Dealer (02/08/2010 :: Cleveland, OH)



• "Cleveland Rowing Foundation Hosts the Hammer Ergatta to Fund the New Rivergate Park Boathouse" by row2k.com (02/09/2010)



• "Don't Miss : Hammer Regatta This Weekend!" by James Krouse, Ingenuity Fest Cleveland (02/18/2010 :: Cleveland, OH)



• "Cleveland Rowing Foundation Looks to Purchase Permanent Home " by Liz Bernal, rowingnews.com (02/26/2010)



• "Indoor rowing machines' virtual experience a whole-body workout: a Stretching Out column" by Zachary Lewis, The Plain Dealer (03/02/2010 :: Cleveland, OH)



• "Cleveland Rowing Foundation 'very near' to a deal to acquire land on Cuyahoga River for rowing center" by Steven Litt, The Plain Dealer (03/17/2010 :: Cleveland, OH)



• "A Vibrant Riverfront" by Thomas Mulready, CoolCleveland.com (03/24/2010 :: Cleveland, OH)