2026 Golden Oars Gala to Be Held at the Harvard Club of New York City

USRowing is proud to announce that the 2026 Golden Oars Gala will take place on Thursday, November 5, at the Harvard Club of New York City. The annual gala serves as the hallmark fundraising event for the USRowing Foundation, with all proceeds from the evening dedicated to supporting the U.S. National Teams.  

This year’s celebration will honor USRowing Foundation Trustee and recently elected Northeast Region Representative to the USRowing Board of Directors David Huntingon for his outstanding service to the rowing community. The evening will also recognize the 2026 USRowing Athletes of the Year from the Under 19, Under 23, Beach, Para, and Senior National Teams. 

“We are looking forward to an evening of celebrating the sport, where we can bring together athletes, leaders, and supporters who propel American rowing forward,” said USRowing CEO Joel Shinofield. “All proceeds from the event support the national teams and help provide our athletes with the resources they need to compete at their full potential on the world stage. It’s a great cause and a wonderful opportunity to rally around the national teams.”    

The Golden Oars Gala features tiered pricing to make the event more accessible to members of the rowing community.  

Coxswain Toss After Party 

Following the dinner and main program, guests are invited to keep the celebration going at the “Coxswain Toss” after-party, featuring desserts, drinks, and dancing. The Coxswain Toss will begin at 8:30 p.m. at the Harvard Club. 

Admission to the after-party is included with all dinner tickets. For those who would prefer to join us just for the festivities, separate after-party-only tickets are also available. It's a great opportunity to celebrate, reconnect with friends, and enjoy a fun evening with the rowing community.

Click here for tickets or an opportunity to sponsor the event. 

Honoring David Huntington  

This year’s honoree, David Huntington, has been a member of the rowing community for more than 40 years as an athlete, volunteer, fundraiser, and leader. He began rowing as a walk-on with Princeton University's heavyweight rowing team and has since competed at the club and masters levels for numerous organizations. A founding board member and former board chair of Row New York, Huntington helped grow one of the nation's leading youth rowing organizations and currently leads the $52 million campaign to build the Harlem River Rowing Center, a community boathouse that will serve youth, high performance, Para, adaptive, masters, learn-to-row, and veteran rowing programs. 

As the Northeast Regional Representative on the USRowing Board of Directors, Huntington brings decades of experience in rowing, nonprofit leadership, governance, and fundraising to the Board as it continues to steward, strengthen, and grow American rowing. Huntington also serves as a trustee of the USRowing Foundation, where he supports the organization's fundraising and governance efforts, serves on the nominating committee, and provides legal counsel.  

Professionally, he serves as a partner in the Capital Markets Group at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, focusing on corporate finance and securities transactions and advising U.S. and foreign public companies on corporate governance, disclosure and securities law requirements. He previously served as Counsel to the Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and has held leadership roles with the Regional Plan Association, Uptown Film Center, and Princeton in Africa. 

Recognizing Excellence in Rowing  

The 2026 USRowing Athletes of the Year, selected through a peer voting process, will be formally honored during the evening’s program. Their achievements represent the pinnacle of dedication, teamwork, and excellence in American rowing.  

Athlete of the Year awardees: 

• Senior: Chris Carlson and Azja Czajkowski
• Para: Skylar Dahl and Alex Flynn
• Under 23: Timmy Parsons and Kathryn Serra
• Under 19: John Piersma and Sophie Rostad
• Beach Sprint: To be determined following the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals  
• USRowing extends its sincere appreciation to our event host committee and our sponsors: Brown Brothers Harriman, One Equity Partners, Broadridge, TJC, USRowing Foundation Trustee William J. Bennington, and Concept2 for their generous support in making the Golden Oars Gala possible.  

For more information about the 2026 Golden Oars Gala and to purchase tickets, please visit the event website here.