The crew team rowed from noon on Wednesday, Feb. 15 through noon on Thursday, Feb. 16 in an effort to raise $30,000 during this year’s Erg-A-Thon. The Erg-A-Thon is an annual event in which members of the crew team row in Farinon for 24 hours. It is the team’s primary fundraising effort and has historically helped the team attend regattas and purchase equipment.
According to an email from the crew team sent out by Lafayette Alumni Relations, the team receives some funding from the college, but must raise a large portion itself to cover the remaining costs. Crew President junior Kendall Lamm wrote in an email that all of the donations the team receives at Erg-A-Thon will go towards fundings regattas, training trips, equipment and other necessities.
From the start to the finish of the event, members of the team row continuously on ergs. While their teammates are rowing, others teach spectators how to erg and oversee the competition, which is open to anyone who wants to stop by and enjoy the fun.
During this year’s Erg-A-Thon, which was organized mainly by club Vice President Aaron Sigmond-Warner ’25, the team also sold new merchandise and collected donations. T-shirts were given automatically to people who donated $100 or more.
“In years past, we have had people join the team after stopping by and learning to row, or they have rowed in the past and are inspired to start again,” Lamm wrote. “You might even catch a glimpse of a few faculty and College staff making their Lafayette Crew debut!”
Senior Meghan Roberts attended her fourth Erg-A-Thon this year. She said that it has been a long-standing tradition before she came to Lafayette. She explained that each team member is expected to row for at least three hours over the course of the event. Some members row for three hours straight, while others break it up into smaller, hour-long sessions of rowing throughout the day.
Roberts said that each hour there were about two crew team rowers going at a time, while the remaining ergs were open for spectators to use.
“Really ambitious rowers will do all three hours on the erg at once,” she said. She recalled how alumnus Ethan Ames ’22 rowed for four to five hours straight. He passed the time by watching a movie on TV that he brought.
Lamm’s favorite memory at Erg-A-Thon came from last year’s event when the team set up a TV to watch movies and make dinner out of a crockpot together, all while keeping the ergs moving.
One year, Roberts decided to row between 4 and 5 a.m. and really enjoyed it. She said that she appreciated how in the past some of her friends that are not affiliated with the team stopped by to support her and the team throughout the night.
Lamm said that Erg-A-Thon provides critical funding for the program, raises awareness that the rowing program is highly competitive and serves as a great team bonding event. It has evidently helped the team, as it has been competitive against some of the best programs in the nation. The women finished in first place at the Dad Vail Regatta last May as well as the Head of the Charles this past October.
“Most rowers will spend hours supporting each other and interacting with our campus community,” Lamm said. “[Erg-A-Thon is] something that we look forward to every year!”
