Project Name: Solon Township Beach Park Neighborhood Learn to Row and Picnic
ABOUT THE APPLICANT
Are you applying as a:
Neighborhood organization or association (such as a non-profit)
What is the organization’s name?
Northern Michigan Rowing Club
What neighborhood does the organization serve?
Solon Township Beach Park, Solon Township, Cedar
First and last name?
Cindy Opie
Twitter Handle
Facebook Handle
Northern MIchigan Rowing Club
Instagram Handle
northernmichiganrowingclub
Is the organization a registered 501 (c)3 non-profit?
Yes
ABOUT THE PROJECT
What is the name of the neighborhood where the project will take place? (Please include city/village name too. Example: Mexican Town, Detroit)
Solon Township Beach Park, Solon Township, Cedar, Michigan
Anticipated project launch date
August 1, 2023
Describe your project idea including: a) Is it a project or event? b) What will you do? c) Where will you do it? d) Who, if any, are your project partners?
2023 will be Northern Michigan Rowing Club’s second year at our Solon Township Beach Park location. The park and boat launch is surrounded by a residential neighborhood. Hosting a Neighborhood Learn to Row and Picnic will help us meet our neighbors and share with them the joy and community building benefits of rowing in an 8 and 4 person shell. Rowing is the first time many people experience working closely with others as a synchronized team and is a great way to get to know your neighbors!
How will you engage your community in this project?
We want to share our club resources with our neighbors to build community appreciation for rowing as a sport. Our Solon Township neighbors watched us launch and row our 8 and 4 person shells along the waterfront last season. Many expressed interest in this new way to enjoy the lake, but hesitated to give it a try because it seems hard to learn. Providing a neighborhood free Learn to Row day where our coaches and NMRC members would share the basic steps of rowing and then serve a community picnic is something NMRC can do to bring our neighbors together. Our hope would be to make this an annual event for our Solon Township neighbors and their guests.
How will the project celebrate the neighborhood’s diversity? Diversity can include different ages, races, cultures, socio-economic statuses, abilities, and more.
Our residential neighbors are of all different ages and have diverse backgrounds. Some have lived for generations near the township park shoreline and some have recently retired here from great distances. Yet, it is easy to not get to know near neighbors. NMRC’s humble boathouse is located in the heart of the Solon Township Beach Park neighborhood in two unused sheds owned by Solon Township. Last year NMRC painted and improved the sheds and fenced in a small yard for boat racks. We also raked and cleaned the entire park in the spring and planted flowers. We hosted one successful picnic for neighbors to celebrate these improvements. This year we hope to further engage our neighbors of all ages and abilities by teaching those interested in how to launch a boat and row with us. Our members are also of diverse age and abilities, which will demonstrate and encourage participation of all who are rowing-curious.
How do you plan to spend the $1,000 microgrant? Please list and explain the items, services, fees, expertise, etc. that you plan to purchase.
Hosting the 2023 Solon Township Beach Park Learn to Row and Picnic cost breakdown with 2 paid coaches and a coxswain to run the Learn to Row portion of the program anticipating 16-20 participants and a picnic for 40+ people:
Coaching – 3 Hours = $ 400
Coxswain – 3 Hours = $ 150
Safety Launch Fuel = $ 50
Picnic Food and Beverages = $ 300
Miscellaneous Picnic paper products = $ 75
Announcement in local newspaper and marketing flyers = $ 150
Pro-rated Liability Insurance covering this event = $ 25
Will your project require special permits?
No
Are you the owner of the property where the project/event will occur?
No Please provide a letter of support from the owner of that property.
Click the icon(s) below to view. Note that this may download to your computer depending on the file type.
Rachel’s Notes
Reviewed 4.24.23. Confirmed member status. Confirmed non-profit status. Confirmed location. Kind of neighborhood.
ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD’S NEEDS
Why does your neighborhood need this project?
The neighborhood around Solon Township Beach Park and Boat Launch needs this project, a gathering to learn new skills and meet new friends, to enhance and refresh the community and recreational value of the park.
What do you hope to achieve through this project? Be as specific as possible!
We hope to maintain NMRC”s presence as a valued, long-term partner in the Solon Township Beach Park neighborhood.
What resources do you already have to make this project successful? Resources could include things like time, partners, expertise, donated goods/materials/space, matching funds, and more.
Our club is run as a member-driven organization with a volunteer board of directors. Last year, our first year on Lake Leelanau, NMRC grew to 45+ members. Our members are asked to provide 10 hours of volunteer service to the club each season as part of their member obligations. In the past, these volunteer hours have been used to help clean up Solon Park, repair and paint one of the buildings on park property, build fencing and racks to store boats, as well as other efforts that directly benefit the club and the community. We hire 8-10 people each summer as part-time contractors to coach our teams and coxswain our boats. At our Solon Township Beach Park location, we have acquired a safety launch and safety equipment to accompany every session on the water as well as enough equipment to launch one 8 and two 4 person shells in a single session. That is 16 rowers, one coxswain, and one coach on the water at one time. We hosted 3 Learn to Rows in 2022 and plan to host 3 – 5 in the 2023 season. We work closely with our location host – Solon Township a to get input on our programming. We communicate with the Solon Township Parks and Recreation Board as to our effectiveness within the community and protection of the park. We currently have a “Feel the Run” campaign with a fundraising goal of $30,000 this year to purchase additional needed equipment. We are seeking business sponsorships, member donations and pursuing grants from compatible funding sources to help build and sustain our club. Our membership, coaching staff, and available equipment will make this neighborhood Learn to Row and Picnic event a success.
IMAGE UPLOADS
Image Caption 1 (if any): Launching a four person quad, Solon Twp Beach Park – 2022
Image Upload 1 (if any):
Image Caption 2 (if any): Coaching a Learn to Rig Session, Solon Twp Beach Park – 2022
Image Upload 2 (if any):
Image Caption 3 (if any): Launching an 8 person shell, Solon Twp Beach Park – 2022
Image Upload 3 (if any):
Image Caption 4 (if any): NMRC 8 person shell launch Solon Twp Beach Park – 2022
Image Upload 4 (if any):
Image Caption 5 (if any): NMRC 8 person shell on the go, Solon Twp Beach Park – 2022
Image Upload 5 (if any):
