Coach Mel is Paddling for Our Hudson to support Hudson River Sloop Clearwater's education and environmental programs. For more than 50 years Clearwater has fought for a clean and healthy Hudson River. More than 100,000 school children have come aboard the sloop for hands-on learning experiences, including some of our children who participated in the Helm leadership overnight programs.
Coach Melissa Creighton has been the spark to initiate, coach, and manage Cortlandt’s local CCRA survivor team and is Head Coach of a national Survivor Rowing Network team. Not only does she coach the local team with regular bi-weekly on-water practices and coaching support, but provides weekly coaching meetings via zoom for the national team, as well as programming and support for all involved rowers and coaches nationwide. (She also rows competitively and is an assistant coach at West Point for the USMA’s women’s crew team).
CCRA is proud to host the CCRA Viking Survivor Rowing program - A small rotating group of women Masters that have been working on technical skills, endurance and race strategy as part of an emerging national program. CCRA is proud to support Clearwater’s efforts and has been participating in the Miles of Hope regattas in Poughkeepsie for years and it has now evolved into two local programs for CCRA Survivor Rowing and Outreach to Medical Professionals. And the great news … after participating with one boat in Head of the Charles 2023 last fall, they now have 16 boats for the HOCR 2024 in Boston! These CCRA Survivor Rowers will join other similar clubs at the Head of the Charles in Boston in a demonstration of cancer recovery and overall wellness. Coach Mel has been working hard with all the survivor rowers under the umbrella of Survivor Rowing Network with rowers from Washington state to New Hampshire, via Zoom, weekly workouts, and joint practices in Cortlandt and Connecticut. If you want to learn more or help their efforts and support the CCRA Survivor Rowers, check out: https://www.classy.org/campaign/ccra-survivor-rowing/c514761
This is a link to the CBS News Interview about the Survivor Rowing Network (SRN), aired this year. Thanks to Cortlandt Rowing for making this a reality. In the video clip, you will meet Lori and Victoria, two of our awesome rowers from Connecticut. https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/newyork/news/groups-rowing-to-raise-money-awareness-for-breast-cancer-research/
Please help with any amount that you can to Clearwater here or to support the CCRA as I complete the "Paddle for Our Hudson."
