Alexandria Community Rowing Names New Boat in Honor of Dedicated Volunteer
ALEXANDRIA, VA – For the past 23 years, Terry Green has been a fixture at the Dee Campbell Rowing Center. From her station on the boathouse’s second floor, she acts as a safety dock monitor, listening for radio traffic from the boats while they are out on the river practicing, both early in the morning and again in the evening. In between, she is a constant presence at the Madison Street facility, which she keeps in tip top shape.
On Aug. 27, members of Alexandria Community Rowing (ACR) honored her tenure and legacy – and ensured that it would not be forgotten – when they christened and named one of their four new shells after Green. During Sunday’s mid-morning ceremony, Vice Mayor Amy Jackson noted that the ACR has existed for almost 35 years, and that Green has been associated with the organization for two-thirds of that time. She read aloud from a Proclamation signed by Mayor Wilson, in which the City of Alexandria paid “tribute to Terry Green for her dedication and commitment to Alexandria Community Rowing as the ACR dedicates one of four new boats to the program this year in her honor.”
“Terry is dependable, pleasant, hard-working, and works quietly in the background. But she is one of the vital elements that allows our programs to go,” said Eleanor Richards, ACR’s Sweep Program Representative. “We’ve had a lot of program changes, we’ve expanded existing programs and added new ones, and Terry has just adapted her schedule around our needs. We would not be able to support our programs without her.”
Green – surrounded by multiple family members who traveled to Alexandria for the ceremony, ACR members, and local rowing communities – thanked the crowd, saying, “I love all of you. That’s why I tell my family, they’re my BBPs. My beautiful boathouse people!”
According to Mary Savino, Admin Dockmaster, ACR has historically named its shells after areas of Alexandria, including Union Street, Torpedo Factory, and Jones Point. To honor cherished contributors, it has occasionally named sculls after people. For example, one was named for Alan Weatherley, who coached both students at West Potomac High School and adults with ACR
In addition to the two-seat Terry Green, the other sculls christened were the Potomac Princess, Madison Street, and Founders. During Sunday’s christening, a practice which began with the Vikings, Rev. David Crosby spoke of Saint Warhol, the patron saint of rowers. He also prayed “for the safety and swiftness of these shells and for the rowers who will compete in them.”
The 224-member ACR provides recreational and competitive rowing opportunities for adult rowers of all ages and skill levels with several morning and evening programs for both sweep (one oar) and sculling (two oars). Richards said this year’s sweep and scull evening programs have a total of 151 participants, ranging in age from 19 to 76. Of these participants, 67 are novices. [SEE ALSO: Noah Lyles Is World’s Fastest Man]
