Meet Our Unity Partner: Rowing Cares

In honor of National Cancer Survivors Day, we want to highlight one of our unity partners, Rowing Cares. Rowing Cares connects the rowing and cancer communities across the U.S. in support of patients and survivors  We honor, celebrate and remember through a series of fundraising events, both live and virtual, for women and men of all ages impacted by all cancers.

What is the mission of your organization? 

Rowing Cares ( a 501C3 non-profit) works to improve the quality of life of women and men impacted by cancer, through the powerful physical, emotional, and mental benefits of the sport of rowing.  Rowing Cares regattas and virtual events honor, celebrate, and remember those impacted by cancer and raise funds to support programming for patients and survivors across the U.S. and in select international sister cities.

 Our Signature program is the Survivor Rowing Network ( SRN). The mission of SRN is very simple – to bring more cancer survivors and patients to rowing, on the water and on the erg. 

What kind of resources does Rowing Cares provide?

Since Rowing Cares formed in 1993, our organization has raised close to $4.5 million to support cancer patients and survivors. The funds have been distributed: as grants to community cancer organizations, to help fund a cure for cancer by funding cancer research and by supporting the formation and growth of survivor rowing programs.

We host fundraising regattas, including the Rowing Cares Mercer Indoor Challenge, Pink Ribbon Row, and Rowing Cares San Diego, as well as the Row5K Oar Bust and Pink the Boathouse Challenge, both on the water and on the ergs, live and virtually.  All funds raised are donated to community cancer organizations that support patients and survivors

The Survivor Rowing Network (SRN), a pilot initiative of Rowing Cares, was launched in 2023 with a powerful mission: to provide cancer survivors with access to strength, confidence, joy, and community through the healing power of rowing. In doing so, we’ve created a new category in the sport: Survivor Rowing.

Our lean and responsive SRN structure supports new and existing programs with shared tools in the member- only Engine Room, our online hub for best practices and collaboration. Monthly network calls provide connection, problem-solving, and peer learning.

Every year, we distribute grants to deserving organizations. In 2024, we gave $153,000 to community cancer organizations and survivor rowing programs.  These can be “ Getting Started” grants for new programs or to support existing programs.

Why is rowing such a great sport for cancer survivors?

Rowing is the ultimate team sport—when we’re in sync, we’re at our best. Its physical demands, emotional support, and calming connection to nature make it uniquely effective in recovery. For many survivors, joining a rowing team marks their first return to movement post-treatment, helping lower recurrence risk, reduce stress, and rebuild self-esteem. 

Our members range in age from 30 to 80. Many cancer patients are diagnosed later in life, and rowing is a sport which can easily be learned by those of any age. We say we are for all people, all cancers. Most of our rowers, like all rowers, begin on the erg. Most members of our programs did not find rowing until after their diagnosis.

For many, they cannot believe what is possible after they have gone through cancer.

Survivor Rowing is growing—and it’s here for all people, all cancers. 

We’re also sharing the critical message that exercise is medicine—one of the most powerful tools to reduce recurrence and support lifelong wellness.

How has Rowing Cares helped cancer survivors?

SRN currently supports survivors aged 30 to 80 through 32 member programs across the U.S., with 14 more in development. We offer indoor programming, seasonal camps, and the opportunity to race in “Survivor Rows” at premier regattas. Most participants had never rowed—or even played a sport—before joining. Now, they are forming lifelong bonds and redefining what is possible after a cancer diagnosis.

We build community by participating in Survivor Rows at regattas across the U.S., share best practices, resources, stories, and importantly help new teams form without “re-creating the wheel”. 

We lift each other up.

This past Head of the Charles, a cancer survivors exhibition race took place. What did that mean to your community? 

Head of the Charles 2024- the inaugural HOCR Survivor Row was a weekend we will remember always. For the 11 boats- 99 survivor rowers, their support teams and all the fans along the riverbanks, lives were changed forever. The joy, the tears, knowing anything is possible, the camaraderie, new friends for life, the opportunity to leave cancer outside the boat and focus on all things good. Hope. Confidence. Excitement. This is just the start. We've had so many reach out wanting to join us, start new programs, try rowing in boats or on ergs.

Participating on the world’s greatest rowing stage put a spotlight on Survivor Rowing.

This event also propelled us to create a series of Survivor Rows, so more survivors can experience the thrill of competing. In March of 2025, we held our first San Diego Crew Classic Survivor Row, our first west coast event and our first men’s boat. It was a great opportunity to showcase the many cancers represented by our survivors: lung, breast, multiple myeloma, ovarian, brain, colorectal, leukemia and mantle cell.

We are coming back to HOCR 25 with 16 boats!

What message would you like to send to rowers and coaches reading this?

Rowing will change the lives of cancer survivors and we are here to welcome you to whether you are running a program or participating.  Our sole motivation is bringing more cancer survivors and patients into the sport of rowing. To find joy, confidence, community and strength. Program administrators and coaches- We have a team ready to help you learn how to form a program. For rowers- we can help you find your closest survivor rowing program, or we can welcome you into SRN as an individual rower- inviting you to participate in our Survivor Rows and online classes. We can also introduce anyone to those currently finding the incredible benefits in running a survivor program or in participating.

How can people support your mission?

There are many ways to get involved.

1.  Participate in- race, volunteer, sponsor- one of our Rowing Cares events: Pink Ribbon Row, Seattle Sept 21 or Rowing Cares San Diego Oct 4. Both are fundraisers for community cancer organizations and the Survivor Rowing Network.

2.  Reach out to us to learn more about starting or joining a Survivor Rowing program.

3.  Make a donation which will help us fund “ Seats for Survivors”  and help improve the lives of cancer patients and survivors through our work with community cancer organizations.