2008 Rower's Schedule Pending

2007 Schedule

Overview

FORMS MUST BE COMPLETED and TURNED IN before your daughter gets on the bus!

• Reservation form: Please return this with your check to Ellen Stuhlmann.  This must be returned BEFORE the trip! I really need this for final numbers for the caterer – please!
• Visitation Pre-Excused Absence Trip Form: Each girl attending MUST have each of her teachers sign this form and turn it in to Mrs. Grimaldi NO LATER THAN WEDNESDAY, MAY 14! NO EXCEPTIONS!
• Visitation Permission and Release form: Each family must complete this form and turn it into Coach Gretchen Abell before getting on the bus.

General Schedule

Thursday:

• About noon: Girls will leave Visi on a chartered coach bus. Lunch will be provided on the bus for the girls.
• Mid-afternoon: Arrival in Philadelphia, travel to regatta site.
• Late afternoon/early evening: Hotel check-in; pizza dinner at hotel for girls.

Friday:

• Early morning: Continental breakfast available at the hotel for girls and parents staying at the hotel. Rowers will travel to the Regatta site together on the bus. Parents should plan to go separately. Carpooling is recommended since you’ll have to park your car in one area and take a shuttle bus or walk to the venue.
• Morning: Full, catered hot & cold breakfast will be available at the Visi tent for all the rowers and for pre-reserved, pre-paid families & friends.
• Noon: Full, catered hot & cold lunch available at the tent for the same group.
• Late afternoon: Rowers will return to the hotel after all races to shower and change for dinner. (The bus will be available for all rowers at the venue throughout the day for warmth, staying out of the elements).
• 7 PM: Catered dinner will be available in the downstairs meeting room of the Windsor Suites
• About 9 PM: All rowers will retire for the evening.

Saturday:

• Early morning: CHECK OUT before leaving for the race venue. Continental breakfast available at the hotel for girls and parents staying at the hotel. Rowers will travel to the Regatta site together on the bus. Parents should plan to go separately. Carpooling is recommended since you’ll have to park your car in one area and take a shuttle bus to the venue.
• Morning: Full, catered hot & cold breakfast will be available at the Visi tent for all the rowers and for pre-reserved, pre-paid families & friends.
• Noon: Full, catered hot & cold lunch available at the tent for the same group.

Hotel

The team will be staying at the Hotel Windsor, Continental breakfast is available in the morning in the lower level meeting room (keep in mind that a hot breakfast will be at the race venue. This room is also where we will have dinner Friday night. Parking at the hotel is pricey – about $25 a night. If you plan to take your car in and out during the day, please notify the front desk as well as the garage attendants so you are not double-charged. The hotel has washers and dryers. The hotel also has a business center, complimentary high-speed Internet access, and a 24-hour fitness center (small).

Please ask the girls not to make long distance phone calls from there room. Parents are free to call the girls in their rooms, but we ask they use a cell phone for long distance calls. (In past years there were phones bill on the hotel bill, which made it difficult to reconcile the bill.)

Other recommendations for hotels are the Wyndham, 1-800-276-7415 or the Holiday Inn City Line, 1-200-642-8982.

Food

It may sound extravagant to have a caterer, but we’ve found that this works well because it allows you to watch your daughter race and not have to flip burgers in the rain. The caterer will provide meals – breakfast and lunch on Friday and Saturday at the tent at our viewing area. For parents, there will be a separate cost – one fee for all meals -- for these meals. For the girls, the cost of these meals will be wrapped into their overall cost.

Hot and cold breakfasts and lunches as well as snacks throughout the day will be available on Friday and Saturday for the team, parents and family members in the tent. I have re-hired the caterer we used last year after receiving good reviews from parents. Raymond Bibbo is a highly recommended caterer (who also was awarded a “Best Of” from Philadelphia magazine). I REALLY need to know ASAP how many of you will be there on Friday and on Saturday.

Fees

This year the cost per rower for the trip has jumped to $390.00 due to the huge increase in hotel room rates in Philadelphia and in soaring energy costs. Please note if this expense is a hardship for your family and would result in a decision not to send your daughter – please contact Chuck Patenaude. We don’t want any girl to miss this regatta because of the burden of this expense.

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What Rowers Should Bring

• Crew uniform, including unitard, shirt and jacket

• Plenty of socks & extra shoes

• Sweatshirt, sweater or jacket

• Sunscreen

• Old blanket

• Rain jacket

• Hat

• Camera

• CD player or book

• “walking around money”

What Parents Should Bring

• Folding chairs

• Warm clothing

• Binoculars

• Comfortable shoes –waterproof would be good

• Hat and sunscreen

• Any food or snack for the team which was assigned to you

Responsibilities

The coaches are responsible for the rowers at all times and will schedule and direct their activities. Rowers are responsible for conducting themselves appropriately and as representatives of Georgetown Visitation throughout the trip.

Watching the Event

Everyone gathers to watch the event at the Visitation tent. Unfortunately it is a little difficult to drive to the site.  Those staying at the Hotel Windsor may be able to get a ride with the bus or will be given directions from the hotel on how to get to the race site.  Be prepared to walk from the parking lots to the river.  There are shuttle buses from the parking lots

Weather

Unfortunately, we can not predict the weather.  But we do have historical data- last year it was beautiful but in previous years it has rained, it has been windy, it has been freezing, muddy and miserable.  

Please be prepared for this. We all will check the weather as it gets closer, but for now think COLD and WET, so that we are prepared.