The Fifth Annual Row for Autism Event scheduled for last Saturday was cancelled due to strong winds after one race, officials said.
“We were so disappointed,” Friends of Port Rowing Executive Director Holly Byrne said. “The winds picked up with 25 mile an hour gusts and the officials deemed it not safe to row and cancelled the whole regatta after one race. The kids kept up their spirits, but were so disappointed. It was looking to be a great day with record participation.”
The event, which was held by Friends of Port Rowing and The Town of North Hempstead, was held at North Hempstead Beach Park, located at 175 West Shore Road in Port Washington.
The event features teams from throughout New York and nearby states that are rowing to raise money and awareness for autism.
Row for Autism began as a showcase for members of Port Rowing with autism, to bring awareness to the benefits of rowing and to highlight skill development.
Funds raised allow Port Rowing to continue to upgrade and purchase training equipment, offset program costs for participants, and expand and improve programs, officials said.
Although the event was cut short, Byrne said they were able to raise money for the Friends of Port Rowing’s adaptive program to go towards purchasing adaptive rowing equipment to allow a disabled teenager to be paired with a typical peer mentor.
“Our sponsors have been very generous,” Byrne said. “We are looking to reschedule, but this late in the game it’s hard to find an open weekend. We will do some sort of scrimmage for our adaptive team so they get the chance to row.”
For more information visit www.portrowing.org.
