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Pasta lovers dig in for Crossley crew

Crossley’s rowers hope a pasta dinner will serve up two single boats this Saturday. The 18th annual E.L. Crossley Pasta Dinner and Silent Auction at the high school usually draws more than 300 people.
Cross Jr. Sr. teams DSC02827

Crossley’s rowers hope a pasta dinner will serve up two single boats this Saturday.

The 18th annual E.L. Crossley Pasta Dinner and Silent Auction at the high school usually draws more than 300 people.

It is the rowing crew’s major fundraiser of the year, typically bringing in $10,000.

In the past, it has helped to finance the eight-seat “Pride of Pelham” in 2011, “The Dominion”, a four with cox, in 2013 and a doubles boat.

“This year we are hoping to buy some small boats, singles, which cost around $8,000-$10,000 each,” said teacher and coach Kim Yallup.

‘We appreciate the support of the community both in the form of donations and participation on the night of our pasta dinner.”

The funds raised purchase new equipment for the crew as well as finance the Spring Regattas, including one at Saratoga Springs, New York.

The pasta dinner has allowed the Crossley crew to remain the Canadian Secondary School Regatta Association (CSSRA) overall points champion for the past 11 years.

While most high school teams compete in eight-seat and four-seat races, singles are not as common because of the cost of the boats.

Crossley crew coaches want to give their rowers more variety and experience by having the single boats available to practise and to enter regatta singles races.

The school has not only dominated the national high school rowing scene for more than a decade, but Crossley crew members have earned university rowing scholarships and spots on Canada’s national rowing teams.

Last Thursday, the coaching staff gathered most of the school’s more than 60 rowers in the school’s small gym for a big pep talk.

They encouraged them to hunt down last minute auction prizes as well as nudge family and friends to attend the dinner, to write down auction bids and make donations.

The pasta dinner has become a community tradition with prizes ranging from restaurant dinners, to wine to helicopter rides donated by local and regional businesses. In addition to a silent auction, there is a penny sale.

Dinner tickets are $15 available from rowers and at the door. Doors open at 5 p.m. and dinner is served at 5:30 p.m. Penny sale runs through the evening and silent auction is at 7:30 p.m.