Rowing on a mission
Cleveland-based rowers pair enthusiasm for sport with drive to help othersBy Nicholas L. Dean
Article Photos
Two Cleveland-area residents will pass by Chautauqua County in the coming days as part of a self-propelled venture from Lake Erie to Key West, Fla.
On Sunday, Tom Kotula and Jon Hauserman launched their boat, "Not For Sail," from docks in Cleveland - kicking off their more than 2,000-mile trek.
"It's been good so far," Kotula said Thursday. "We've had some good days and some slow days. It depends on the weather entirely."
Giving an example, Kotula detailed how he and Hauserman traveled 28 miles one day because the wind was with them. The next day, the pair advanced only 10 miles - and those 10 miles were harder than the previous day's 28 according to Kotula.
"That's just the way it is," Kotula said. "Our projection, we're hoping to average 20 to 25 miles a day and get to Florida by mid-December, for Christmas."
A 2006 graduate of Cleveland State University, Kotula has a degree in mechanical engineering and four years of rowing experience. Hauserman, who is still a Cleveland State University student, is on track to graduate in 2010 also with a degree in mechanical engineering. Recruited by Kotula, Hauserman joined the college's rowing team his freshman year.
Combining their studies with their extracurricular activities, Kotula and Hauserman modified a 1972 O'Day Mariner sailboat into a custom rowboat - complete with standard rowing components such as sliding seats and oarlocks in place of sailing equipment. Constructed for their trip's purposes, the boat features a solar panel for energy, bike racks for their bikes and room in a small cabin for sleeping and storing gear.
More than just a summer rowing excursion, however, the trip's real purpose is charitable - as Kotula and Hauserman will be stopping regularly to volunteer their time for Habitat for Humanity.
Online at the pair's Web site, www.HabitatCrew.com Kotula and Hauserman list the primary focus of the trip as being to help with the physical construction of homes for people who cannot otherwise afford to have their own house. Throughout their travels, the Habitat Crew will also raise awareness of the need for volunteering, especially during these tough economic times.
"I guess the trip came from a want to start giving back to the community and to do some sort of volunteer work," Kotula said. "I had considered taking time off from my job to go to South American to do some volunteering, but ended up deciding that I wanted to stay local, stay in the U.S. I've done construction in the past, in past jobs, so it felt like a good type of way to volunteer and give back. It was something I was familiar with."
Though he has never worked with Habitat for Humanity in the past, Kotula said he has volunteered for similar types of organizations on top of having construction experience - just as he has the rowing background for the trip.
"Combining those two ideas together, I just had to make this happen," Kotula said. "The boat gives us a place to stay. We actually live right on board the boat, cook our meals on the boat and sleep here. Otherwise, if you go to a habitat site, you have to house yourself. That's kind of how it all came together."
In Ashtabula, Ohio, on Thursday, the pair will continue traveling across Lake Erie to Buffalo. From Buffalo, the plan is to travel along the Erie Canal to the Hudson River, which will lead them to New York City. From New York City, Kotula plans to follow the Intercoastal Waterway to Key West, Fla - a route which will take him to many major cities where Habitat projects are underway. As the trip won't conclude until December and Hauserman has to return to college, Kotula will be the only team member making the entire trip. According to Kotula, additional team members will join the trip as Hauserman departs.
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davelhs03
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06-18-09 11:28 AM
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The website address is ***********habitatcrew****
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