Aberdeen Dad Vail ® Regatta - Service With A Smile; Volunteers Are Lifeblood Of Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta

As the sun breaches the horizon on Friday, May 13th, the volunteers of the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta will already be bustling.

Breaking the dew on the banks of the Schuylkill River, these volunteers — a group defined by dedication and driven by determination — will give birth to the largest collegiate regatta in the United States. From the registration tent to the stake boats and hospitality areas to the command center at the finish line, they will prepare to host over 100 colleges, thousands of student athletes and tens of thousands of spectators.

Despite waking well before daybreak and embarking on a long workday, smiles will abound amongst the volunteers. The reason why is simple: For these volunteers, young and old, Aberdeen Dad Vail weekend is an annual reunion.

"It's really like having a second family," said Tricia Winton, an Aberdeen Dad Vail volunteer who in 12 years of service has served as a photographer and a volunteer coordinator.

Winton's first family is well immersed in the Aberdeen Dad Vail culture. Her father, Jim Hanna, is the President of the Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee, brother Jeff (pictured above, middle) has been involved for over 15 years and sister Mary for eight. The Hanna's lineage of volunteerism is not foreign to the Aberdeen Dad Vail.

"There are several families of volunteers with two or three generations of family members helping together," Winton said.

As a high school rower at the Shipley School in Philadelphia's suburbs, Winton developed a passion for rowing. While attending Temple University (she did not row collegiately), she would attend the Aberdeen Dad Vail to help with some odds and ends without serving as an official volunteer.

That would soon change.

"I'd see all the volunteers just from hanging out at the regatta once a year," Winton said. "They all seemed to be one big family. They're so nice and everybody is smiling even if they're working in a rainstorm. They were just so happy to be there. I said to myself, 'I must be missing something. I need to get more involved with this group.'"

And to this day, Winton is involved because as she says, "It's an uplifting experience."

That ineffable experience is what the Aberdeen Dad Vail volunteers try to share with their family and friends. They'll say, "Just come help out this year and see if you like it."

A little prompting can go a long way.

"I've had a few friends that aren't affiliated with crew whatsoever and I asked them to come down, check it out and help me out for one year and see what they think," Winton said. "They all come back every time."

It's the camaraderie of the volunteers that's directly responsible for producing the once-in-a-lifetime experience that is Aberdeen Dad Vail weekend. For the thousands of young rowers that look to peak at the Vails, the volunteers are the lifeblood of their season.

"It's enjoyable because I know what the end result will be and I know the more time I put towards it, the better the regatta will be for the rowers," said Winton.

That sentiment runs throughout the crew responsible for the regatta. The veteran volunteers — those who don the celebrated Aberdeen Dad Vail Golden Jackets — steer the ship, while the younger volunteers pull the oars.

At the end of the day, though, they're all on one dock.

"The older volunteers openly welcome the new volunteers. They're willing to do anything for anybody, whether it's a new volunteer, an athlete or a spectator. The kindness and excitement absolutely rubs off."

When dusk settles over Philadelphia on Saturday, May 14th, another Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta will have concluded. The setting sun will reflect off the Schuylkill and illuminate smiling silhouettes. The Vail's volunteers will share some hugs and some handshakes and wrap up their annual reunion.

No one will take credit for America's largest collegiate regatta. It's an unspoken rule: The regatta runs itself.

Everyone knows that's not truly the case.

"All the older volunteers love to say, 'Oh, the regatta runs itself ' because they don't want to take any credit and they're so humble," Winton said. "They'd never say, 'Oh, you won't believe what I had to go through to do this or that.' They're all just so happy to be there and be involved."

If you would like to be involved, please see the information included on the following page:

Regatta Volunteer Information and Sign-up Page »

Brendan F. Quinn
Editorial Writer
Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee
DVROC Office Line: (610) 234-2076
brendan.quinn@dadvail.org.
www.dadvail.org
www.twitter.com/DadVaildotTV

About the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta, Presented by Coca-Cola®
The Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta presented by Coca-Cola is the largest collegiate regatta in North America with over 100 colleges and universities from the United States and Canada. Held annually since 1953 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the Schuylkill River, thousands of student athletes and spectators visit the City of Philadelphia during the weekend of the second Saturday in May.

About Title Sponsor — Aberdeen Asset Management
Aberdeen Asset Management Inc is the wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary of Aberdeen Asset Management PLC, a global investment management group which is headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland, and manages more than $287 billion of assets for both institutions and private individuals (as of Dec. 31, 2010). Philadelphia is home to the U.S. equity and fixed income investment management teams, as well as U.S. client servicing, consultant relations, business development and other operational staff: more than 180 employees in total. Aberdeen manages and services approximately $53 billion in total assets on behalf of North American and international clients. For more information, visit www.aberdeen-asset.us Here in the U.S., Aberdeen is also proud to be one of the supporters of the British Garden at Hanover Square, New York. This New York City park celebrates historic ties of friendship and unity between the U.S. and the UK. Globally, Aberdeen has a long standing association with university rowing competitions having sponsored the Oxford v Cambridge University Boat Race in the UK from 1999 – 2005. The company also continues to support the Aberdeen Universities Boat Race in Aberdeen, Scotland in their annual event which takes place every February.

About Presenting Sponsor — The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Together with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world's most valuable brand, the Company's portfolio includes 14 billion dollar brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply and Georgia Coffee. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate of 1.6 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. For more information about our Company, please visit our website at http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com.

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