Head of the Genesee Invitational Regatta Comes Under New Leadership

After serving 11 years as the primary co-organizers and co-sponsors of the Head of the Genesee Invitational Regatta (formerly the Stonehurst Capital Invitational Regatta), Rochester Institute of Technology and the University of Rochester will turn over management of the event to the Genesee Waterways Center.

Genesee Waterways Center has been a longtime partner to the universities in organizing and presenting this annual community event. The Genesee Waterways Center wants the opportunity to expand the regatta to a two-day event that will include additional rowing events beyond its current intercollegiate and high school competitions. In recent years, high school rowing teams from Rochester, Buffalo and other eastern high schools have competed.

“On behalf of the regatta management committee, I want to thank the community for its support in making the regatta a premier rowing competition,” says Deborah Stendardi, RIT vice president of government and community relations and chairperson of the management committee. “The regatta has stimulated growing interest and participation from the local rowing community, and so it seems timely for the universities to turn over the event to the Genesee Waterways Center. We are confident GWC will continue the great tradition that’s been established and that this regatta will grow and flourish under its leadership. RIT is very proud to have been part of this event for the past 11 years.”

“Many dedicated people have made it possible for student-athletes to compete in Rochester’s own regatta,” says Paul Burgett, vice president, general secretary and senior advisor to the president, University of Rochester. “Together, we succeeded in drawing crowds to the Genesee River—a startling idea in the 1980s when we began. The potential is there to continue the tradition.”

“The Genesee Waterways Center is truly delighted to have the opportunity to expand the regatta to a two-day event and wishes to thank the UR and RIT for their help in making this transfer a very smooth transition,” says Dennis Money, executive director of the Genesee Waterways Center. “The regatta will be held Saturday, Oct. 6 and Sunday, Oct. 7, which will be the first time Rochester has hosted a two-day regatta. On Oct. 6, the regatta will consist of high school competitions, a new Masters competition and the increasingly popular Corporate Challenge event. On Sunday, the races will focus on the colleges and universities, patterning the traditional regatta format.”

This year will mark the 19^th year for the regatta on the Genesee River, which draws more than 35 collegiate men’s and women’s teams from New York state, the East Coast and Canada. Prior to the sponsorship of Stonehurst Capital, Bausch & Lomb sponsored the regatta for the first seven years.

The Genesee Waterways Center is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote water sports such as rowing and kayaking in an effort to help people recreate, improve self-esteem and learn teamwork. In 2006, more than 3,000 people took classes and attended events at Genesee Waterways Center’s headquarters in Genesee Valley Park as well as at its white water kayaking park on the Erie Canal’s Lock 32 off of Clover Street.

ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Dennis Money, (585) 328-3960 or e-mail wolfoftheriver@hotmail.com.