The Lebo crew team is hosting an ergathon fundraising event Saturday, March 21, to raise money for its spring season and support the high school athletes. The event will be held in the Mt. Lebanon High School gymnasium from 3 to 6 p.m. and will feature raffles, a bake sale and an indoor rowing demonstration.
Since 1991, crew has been a thriving club sport in Mt. Lebanon and has built an impressive coaching staff over the years. Head coach and Lebo graduate DJ Vaglia is a strong supporter of the athletes, but funding is often difficult due to the sport’s extensive equipment needs.
“Our equipment is not cheap,” Vaglia said. “We don’t require our kids to buy boats, but the team has to have them, and we don’t get support from the school.”
All fundraising from the event will go toward the team’s supplies, helping support future successful seasons. The team has seen significant success in recent years, sending a boat to nationals for the first time in program history last year. The boat’s rowers included Ben Sheppard, Owen Yeager, Bruno Obadic and Jude Kashlan, with coxswain Celia Mitchell.
Much of the effort to raise money for the crew team comes from the parent crew board, led by parents such as Danielle Dunlap, the co-president. Dunlap said she was immediately moved by the team’s sense of community and dedication when her daughter first joined. She hopes the fundraiser will not only bring in donations but also increase visibility for the sport and the team.
“We want to be able to keep the legacy of the team alive,” Dunlap said. “The kids work so hard, and it really is a team sport. They really take care of each other.”
The crew community also came together a few years ago after former student and rower Joey Talarico died, prompting significant fundraising efforts in his honor. The boat sent to nationals last year was nicknamed “The JET,” after Joseph E. Talarico.
Rowing is far from the most convenient sport, and each crew member must dedicate many hours to practice during the season. Most students do not begin rowing until eighth or ninth grade, and through hard work and dedication they are able to advance quickly. Practices themselves are extremely demanding, and each one takes place at a lake about an hour away by bus, making it a significant time commitment. As Vaglia sees it, rowing is “a really fantastic sport to teach discipline and help athletes appreciate working toward a long-term goal.”
“Those who really want to succeed do well in the sport, not so much those who are naturally talented,” Vaglia said. “You have to put in a lot of time and consistency to really see the benefits of your work.”
Lebo crew has had many recent graduates move on to collegiate rowing teams, including Ben Sheppard at Temple University, Paige Engle at Duquesne University, Natalie McGee at Wellesley College, Bruno Obadic at the University of Pittsburgh, Owen Yeager at Stetson University and Scout Barber at the University of Tulsa. Current senior Alina Heineman has committed to row at Washington University in St. Louis.
Dunlap hopes the event will bring more awareness to the dedication required of the team, especially given the demands of the sport. The event will highlight an ergathon, in which current crew members will demonstrate their endurance on indoor rowing machines.
“It’s a lot of hard work,” Dunlap said. “It’ll be pouring rain … and they have to rig and de-rig the boats … and they’ll have the biggest smiles on their faces. It’s really amazing.”
For more information about Mt. Lebanon rowing, the ergathon and how to support the team, visit www.mtlebanonrowing.org.
