Arshay Cooper to Speak at Princeton University

Arshay Cooper, author of A Most Beautiful Thing, will be the featured guest speaker for the Princeton Varsity Club speaker series on Wednesday, November 8. The event is free and open to the public. Read more and reserve your attendance here.

Mercer Juniors Fall Fundraiser

and Auction

The auction is live and available for bids. Check out the items HERE (more items are being added so be sure to check back). Final bidding will take place at the Fall Fundraiser on November 19.

2023 Mercer Juniors Fall Fundraiser and Auction

Sunday, November 19, 2023

12:00-2:30pm

Conte's Pizza

339 Witherspoon Street

Princeton, NJ 08542

Purchase your ticket HERE!

If you have items or services that you would like to contribute or would like to assist with organizing the auction, please contact either Hilary or Kris.

STEM to Stern Fundraising

PNRA and Princeton University are in the 3rd year of the STEM to Stern program. The program works with middle school aged students from the Trenton area and introduces them to rowing and STEM projects. Students ride on a Princeton University shuttle bus to the Caspersen Rowing Center where they have rowing instruction on the ergs, barge and rowing boats and then learn about STEM from Princeton Rowing team volunteers.

Last year the STEM to Stern program cost $30,000. The largest component of this cost is transportation which Princton University and the Princeton University Rowing Association (PURA) are covering. You can help to keep this amazing program going by making a donation. Here is our donation link for the PURA STEM to Stern fund: PURA STEM to Stern Program Donations

Additionally, this year the Open weight Women’s team will be running the Princeton Half Marathon in support of the national STEM to Stern organization! Here is the Rower’s for Change donation page: Princeton Rowing ‘Rower’s for Change’ Donation Page

Boat Christening in

Honor of Pete Reed

The Varsity Boys will be christening their new Hudson 8 in honor of former Mercer rower Pete Reed. Pete was killed in early 2023 while working as a humanitarian aid worker in Ukraine. The christening is scheduled for Sunday, November 5 around 4 pm after the Mercer Fall Classic races are complete.

Lost and Found

It is amazing how fast the water bottles and lost clothing items accumulate at the boathouse. Please check the growing pile of lost and found before the items are donated at the end of the fall season.

Does your employer have a matching gift program?



Check out the Matching Gift finder feature on our website. Click here to find if your employer has a program.

HOCR Recap

Congratulations to all who raced in the Head of the Charles! There were many Caspersen Boathouse crews and affiliated rowers who raced. Below is a list of results:

Men's Youth 8 (90 entries)

Mercer - 5th

Men's Youth 4 (90 entries)

Mercer - 10th

Mercer - 15th

Lawrenceville - 33rd

Hun - 48th

Peddie - 57th

Women's Youth 8 (89 entries)

Mercer - 19th

Women's Youth 4 (90 entries)

Mercer - 17th

Lawrenceville - 66th

Women's Youth Coxed Quad (50 entries)

Peddie - 42nd

Men's Masters 4 40+ (17 entries)

Mercer - 15th

Women's Masters 4 50+ (36 entries)

Mercer - 27th

Men's Masters 4 50+ (31 entries)

Swan Creek (w/ Coach Brian Price) - 22nd

Men's Alumni 8 (48 entries)

Fat Cat (w/ Coach Jamie Hamp) - 17th

Women's Masters 8 50+ (30 entries)

FILO with Margery Mark (Hun coach) and Alison Pollini (masters coach) - 10th

Men's Masters Single 40+

(26 entries)

PJ Kaputa - 5th

Men's Senior Veteran I Single

(23 entries)

Mike Hurley - 14th

Director's Challenge Women's Quad

(35 entries)

Unaffiliated (w/ Hilary Gehman) - 15th

Director's Challenge

Parent/Child Double

(47 entries)

Brian & Scott Price - 32nd

Celebrity sightings! Bonnie Garmus (right), author of Lessons in Chemistry with Mercer Program Director Hilary Gehman.

Rowers for RISE

Mercer rower Sawyer Kinney has teamed up with RISE, an organization that benefits local families. Please consider helping Sawyer with his fundraiser Rowers for RISE by placing items in the marked bin at the Caspersen Boathouse on the days listed above.

Fall Season Underway

Head of the Charles, Oct 22

Head of the Schuylkill, Oct 29

*Mercer Fall Classic, Nov 5*

*Philadelphia Frostbite, Nov 11*

*Bill Braxton Memorial Regatta, Nov 12*

*Mercer Lake races*

The Mercer Masters will compete at the Head of the Charles and Schuylkill.

The National Team will race at the Charles and the Fall Speed Orders scheduled for Mercer Lake November 18-19.

*Interested in volunteering at any of the above? Please contact Hilary for more information.

We're all in this together!!

Your support today will make a difference.

Click here to donate now.

Thank you.



Mercer Team gear is still available - hats, scarves, umbrellas, shirts . . .

Show your Mercer Spirit!

Contact Hilary Gehman