Keeping the tradition alive: Bainbridge Island Rowing club junior rower memorial installation

My rowing club exists because of high schoolers.

In 2001, a group of junior rowers were traveling hours to the nearest rowing clubs, and realized how the inaccessibility of the sport prevented people from experiencing and participating in it. They put their heads together, engaged the community, and a club was born out of this kernel.

The junior rowing program is still the heart of the club, with over 100 rowers in the program annually. To honor their commitment, and the legacy of the club, there exists an installation that commemorates every junior rower who graduates from the rowing program upon the completion of their senior year.

The installation was conceptualized and produced annually by two club members, Ann Livengood and Maggie Smith. In 2025, the baton was passed to me, as a rower and woodworker, and I now carry forward the tradition, coordinating, producing, and installing the annual updates to the memorial wall.