On August 4th, 2020 a monstrous blast flattened the port of Beirut. There was a tremendous loss of life and destruction of property. The lives lost can never be replaced, but the community can work to rebuild and overcome.
Collateral damage in this blast was the Lebanese Rowing Federation. The Lebanese Rowing Federation was founded in 1968. Although underfunded and run almost solely by volunteers, it is home to around 20 active rowers, from children to veterans of Beirut's waters. 
After reading about how their club was destroyed in the Beirut blast, John O'Brien put together a GoFundMe page to raise money to enable the LRF to replace or repair the rowing shells lost in the blast.
Lebanese Rowing Federation GoFundMe Page
"Hello all! Thank you all so much for your support. We have been in touch with Rodrigue Ibrahim, the head coach at the Lebanese Rowing Foundation, and they are still working through the list of what exactly they need to get back up and running. We plan on hosting an AMA on Reddit or a Zoom meeting, depending on their comfort level. Thank you all so much for your support, and continuing to make this beautiful sport one of the best communities." - John O'Brien
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The Row for the Cure 2023 Pre-Order Store is open from October 6-October 20 in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 20% of all net sales from this pre-order store will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation on behalf of the Row for the Cure organization. Rowers are the perfect bunch to support our community as we battle to win the fight against breast cancer. Ultimately, that is why we come together each year. Not only as competitors but as a rowing community. One goal: to kick cancer, together!
Gather your friends, family, and teammates for Row for the Cure's Pink the Boathouse Challenge in honor or memory of a friend or loved one. Have fun and challenge yourself as we come together to fight cancer. Row, erg, run or walk throughout October. Form or join a team and participate in-person or virtually. Proceeds help fund community cancer organizations that support cancer patients and their families and rowing clubs which empower cancer survivors.
