Welcome to Rowing Cares

Rowing Cares connects the rowing and cancer communities across the U.S. in support of patients and survivors  We honor, celebrate and remember through a series of fundraising events, both live and virtual, for women and men of all ages impacted by all cancers. To date we have raised and distributed close to $4 million which has been awarded to community cancer organizations and survivor rowing programs. Rowing Cares has also partnered with Cancer Research Institute to help fund cutting edge research to find a cure. 

2024 events include Mercer Indoor Rowing Cares, Row 5K Oar Bust, PNW Pink Ribbon Row, Pink the Boathouse Challenge, Rowing Cares San Diego as well as Survivor Rowing Events included in regattas such as Diamond State Masters, Kings Head Regatta, Secret City Head Race, 5280m Regatta,  Head of the Charles and Head of the Schuylkill.

In celebration of our 30th anniversary, Rowing Cares proudly launched the Survivor Rowing Network (SRN) in June 2023. This growing network currently includes 30 rowing organizations on three continents with programs dedicated for cancer survivors. Our mission is to grow Survivor Rowing and put more cancer survivors into boats and on ergs.  We do this by strengthening existing survivor rowing programs through collaboration & by enabling rowing organizations looking to form new programs.

This past October the Survivor Rowing Network entered 11 boats of cancer survivors in the Head of the Charles, the world’s largest rowing regatta. Competing in the inaugural HOCR Survivor Row were 99 survivor rowers from the USA, France and Italy. For many, this was their first time down the Charles course, and for some it was even their first head race. The rowing community provided outstanding support for them though the annual Rowing Cares fundraiser: Pink the Boathouse.

In 2024, Rowing Cares distributed over $150,000 in grants to community cancer organizations and  survivor rowing programs across the U.S and toward research. Grants were awarded in Seattle WA, Portland OR, San Diego CA, Chicago IL, Peoria IL, Hanover NH, Westerville OH, Belmont NC, Washington DC, Philadelphia PA, Princeton, NJ, New Orleans LA, Westport CT, East Canaan CT, Cortlandt NY, Rochester NY Buffalo NY, and Boston MA.

The money we raise in each community supports local education, free screenings, survivor rowing programs, follow-up treatments and many kinds of family support.

For everyone involved with our mission – it is personal. Volunteers, sponsors, donors, and participants across the country have all been touched in some way by this deadly disease

Every stroke we row, every dollar we donate, every program in which we participate – is another life supported or saved.

We can and will win this battle together. We’re on a mission – Join Us!