Our Crowdfunding Groups
Cal Lightweight Rowing is a team with more than 50 years of history, dedicated to growing and fostering athletes as well as competing on a national level. Since its founding, the team has now includes over 50 men and women who train six days a week, enduring early mornings and arduous workouts for a love of rowing and the camaraderie of crewmates. The team prides itself on inclusion; we will teach and train any student interested enough to commit to the team as a part of a larger mission to expand the sport of rowing and its benefits to the Berkeley community.
To meet our goals of developing competitive athletes alongside fostering new ones, the team relies heavily on the generosity of family, friends, and alumni for the necessary resources. Money for purchasing oars and boats, renting a boathouse, and even providing financial aid to rowers comes directly from donations, and your contribution will go towards not only keeping us afloat, but ensuring we can win nationally.
In Spring 2024, the Cal Lightweight Rowing team competed at the Western Intercollegiate Regional Association (WIRA) Championships in Sacramento, CA, where we placed 1st in the Men's Novice Lightweight 4+ and 3rd in the Women's Novice 8+. We also competed at the American Collegiate Rowing Association (ACRA) Championship in Oak Ridge, TN and placed 3rd in the Men's Varsity Lightweight 4+ and the Women's Varsity 2- at ACRAs.
During the summer, the Cal Lightweights represented UC Berkeley in Huzhou, China at the 2024 Elite International Universities Water Sports Open, where we competed alongside teams from Harvard University, Yale University, Cambridge University, University of Tokyo, Yonsei University, NTU Singapore, and Zhejiang University.
This season, we hope to build on this success with an expanded roster of athletes, new equipment, and hiring additional coaching staff.
What Your Money Goes Towards
As a rowing team, we operate on a similar scale and compete against fully-funded rowing programs across the nation. Yet despite being self-funded, we still face similar costs. Our goal is to build a nationally recognized program.
We will use the funds raise to cover new equipment, race and boat entries, travel costs, boathouse rent, hiring more coaching staff, etc. If we do not reach our goal, we will prioritize what we need as a team to function, instead of purchasing new equipment or hiring additional coaching staff, for instance. Surpassing our goal will help sustain us in the future and get us closer to national recognition!
Cost breakdown of our 2023-2024 season. Estimates are rough only, and actual expenditures may vary.
Reach us at callightweightrowing@gmail.com or any of our social media!
For donations of $50 or more, you’ll receive a personalized shoutout on our Facebook and Instagram pages!
For donations of $100 or more, you’ll receive a personalized thank you note — handwritten and signed by one of our members. This thanks includes a Social Media Shoutout as well!
For donations of $250 or more, you’ll receive a print of the team — signed by our officers and coaches. This thanks includes all perks named above as well!
For donations of $500 or more, you’ll get your name(s) forever showcased on one of our oars. We’ll contact you to confirm what you want printed to make sure we get everything right! This thanks includes all perks named above as well!
For donations of 1000$ or more, your name will be added to our new donor wall that will be displayed at the Lightweight Training Center as well as our website. This wall will be a physical testament to our donors' support of the team for many years to come. This perk includes all of the above perks as well!
