Many of us here at FirstGiving commute over Boston’s Charles River every day, where we see dedicated men’s and women’s rowing teams hard at work churning up what some refer to as “that dirty water.”  Rowing is a sport close to our hearts, which is why several crew teams caught our eye as they propelled themselves to FirstGiving’s website to raise money online for the 2009 World Rowing Championships.

While some New Englanders are out catching crabs, the men’s and women’s United States Rowing Teams are bound for the international competition in Poznan, Poland.  Their boats are non-funded by the US Rowing Association, which means that these athletes must cover travel, lodging, food, equipment and entry fee expenses themselves.

And, like true athletes, these men and women are up to the challenge.  With their sights on winning the World Championship and a qualifying spot at the 2012 Olympic games, they are training hard and making great progress toward their fundraising goals.  You can read more about each team by clicking the links to their fundraising pages below:

“On August 7th, our quad crossed the finish line at Trials and officially earned the opportunity to represent the United States at the 2009 World Rowing Championships in Poznan, Poland!  With the championships just around the corner–our first heat coming up on August 24th–we have a lot of work to do.  Not only to keep pushing ourselves every second on the water to be the fastest LW4x in the world and the best crew we can be, but also to raise the necessary funds to send us on our way!”

“We are proud to announce that we will be representing the United States in Poznan, Poland this year at the FISA World Rowing Championships.  Last year in Linz-Ottensheim, Austria we captured a Gold Medal, and we hope to defend our title this year.  With your help, we can achieve this goal, and start the Road to London 2012 in strong style.  The Lightweight Men’s 8+, however, is a non-Olympic event, and as such, we must raise the funds to cover the cost of the trip.”

“Olympic medals are only won every four years, but are earned in between.  We believe no country more than the USA appreciates a difficult process, and the struggles to triumph. There is no donation that will go unappreciated. Any contribution, no matter how small, is invaluable. We hope you’ll be watching us in London 2012, and we hope you remember the path we took.”

“The Lightweight Men’s 2- is a solid training and development ground for the Olympic boat classes. Giving athletes the chance to develop in non-Olympic boat classes at World Championshisps is key to the sucess of the USA’s Olympic boats.  With your help, we can raise the caliber of US Men’s Lightweight rowing, and start the Road to London 2012 in strong style.”

Go USA!