Members and alumni of the Jesus College Boat Club (JCBC) are about to embark on an extraordinary long-distance row to raise funds for two worthy causes.
From 9th-11th September 2022, the Club’s most intrepid members and alumni will be leaving the Isis behind to row 170km of the Thames, from Oxford to London. The team are fundraising for the Dr Sean McGrady Foundation, and for the JCBC itself, to support upcoming training camps and towards the purchase of boats and equipment for the 2022-23 season.
The Dr Sean McGrady Foundation was founded in memory of Sean McGrady, a Jesus College alumnus and Junior Research Fellow who later became a Professor of Chemistry at the University of New Brunswick and then the State University of New York at Binghamton. Sean was a keen champion of education for all who have a thirst to learn, irrespective of economic capacity. The Foundation promotes education (including social and physical training) and has a desire to provide scholarships, bursaries and maintenance awards.
James Perkins, co-President of the JCBC, says “The Club was pleased to support the Foundation earlier in the year by taking part in the WaterAid Canary Wharf Dragon Boat Race, and it’s great to have the chance to raise funds again for this brilliant cause.”
The Jesus College team at the Dragon Boat Race Day with Water Aid 7th July 2022 © Brendan Foster Photography.
He added, “We have 13 team members on the crew for the row, and will be departing from Oxford at 7.30am on Friday 9th September. We hope to finish the challenge at Mortlake on the Sunday. The Jesus College community is always incredibly supportive of fundraising endeavours such as this, and we would be delighted to receive donations for the row via our GoFundMe page.”
If you would like to sponsor the Jesus crew, you can click on their GoFundMe page here: GoFundMe
You can follow the crew’s journey via the JCBC Twitter account (https://twitter.com/jesusboatclub) and on Instagram (@jesusboatclub).