Chancellor Folt was among the many Tar Heels who stopped by the Pit Wednesday to support the rowing team's efforts.
GoHeels Exclusive: Erg-A-Thon A Special Day for UNC Rowing
October 8, 2018 | Women's Rowing, Featured Writers, Student-Athlete Development, Carolina Outreach
By Pat James, GoHeels.com
As a senior at Freedom High School in Bethlehem, Pa., Bridget Tarnowski lost her aunt, Lori, to breast cancer.
Lori's passing was still fresh on Tarnowski's mind when she enrolled at North Carolina and joined the novice rowing squad a few months later, in August 2016. She didn't know then about the team's Erg-A-Thon, its annual fundraiser for breast cancer research.
The day of the event, though, she experienced it firsthand. And seeing the support her teammates showed for breast cancer awareness and research hit home.
"That's something that I kind of carry with me," said Tarnowski, now a junior, of Lori's death. "Coming to campus my freshman year and so early in the semester seeing this cause was so important to this team was really, really important to me.
"And I just knew I wanted to be a part of organizing it."
That opportunity arose this year. Following in the footsteps of UNC rowing alumnae Caeli Harr, Stephanie Wangerin and Ali Margherio – who started the event in 2011 following her grandmother's battle with breast cancer – Tarnowski served as the organizer of the team's eighth-annual Erg-A-Thon, held Wednesday.
From 10 a.m.-2 p.m., rowing machines, also known as ergometers, were set up in the Pit, located in the center of campus. Students and community members were invited to stop by and attempt a two-minute erg challenge in exchange for a donation. By the end of the day, whoever rowed the farthest won a basketball signed by men's basketball coach Roy Williams.
All of the proceeds will support breast cancer research at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
"It's so encouraging because people are like, 'Hey, what's this about?'" Tarnowski said. "Or, 'Hey, I see you're supporting breast cancer research? Can you tell me more about that?' It's just been so uplifting and rewarding for all the work that has gone into this."
By Friday, the team's fundraising total neared $5,000. The goal is to raise $10,000 by the end of October. To donate online, click here.
"One of the things that's so important is they do this every year," said Chancellor Carol Folt, who was among the many visitors to the rowing team's booth Wednesday. "So that means the Cancer Center can actually depend on this extra revenue, and the truth is they can never have too much in the fight against cancer. It's a wonderful commitment."
Planning for the Erg-A-Thon begins months in advance, Tarnowski said. And it requires a lot of help from the team as a whole.
Multiple people were needed to carry the ergs from the rowing room in the Woollen Gym basement to the Pit. It then took about an hour to set up and decorate the team's booth. With several other student-operated booths in the Pit, Tarnowski also relied on many of her teammates to encourage students and others passing by to visit their booth and make a donation.
Breast cancer awareness and research isn't just something Tarnowski plays for. Her teammates do, too.
"I always feel kind of guilty being like, 'Guys, can you please? I need the help,'" Tarnowski said. "But they have gone above and beyond anything that I've asked, just in setting up or hyping up the event.
"It just makes me love my team that much more."
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As a senior at Freedom High School in Bethlehem, Pa., Bridget Tarnowski lost her aunt, Lori, to breast cancer.
Lori's passing was still fresh on Tarnowski's mind when she enrolled at North Carolina and joined the novice rowing squad a few months later, in August 2016. She didn't know then about the team's Erg-A-Thon, its annual fundraiser for breast cancer research.
The day of the event, though, she experienced it firsthand. And seeing the support her teammates showed for breast cancer awareness and research hit home.
"That's something that I kind of carry with me," said Tarnowski, now a junior, of Lori's death. "Coming to campus my freshman year and so early in the semester seeing this cause was so important to this team was really, really important to me.
"And I just knew I wanted to be a part of organizing it."
That opportunity arose this year. Following in the footsteps of UNC rowing alumnae Caeli Harr, Stephanie Wangerin and Ali Margherio – who started the event in 2011 following her grandmother's battle with breast cancer – Tarnowski served as the organizer of the team's eighth-annual Erg-A-Thon, held Wednesday.
From 10 a.m.-2 p.m., rowing machines, also known as ergometers, were set up in the Pit, located in the center of campus. Students and community members were invited to stop by and attempt a two-minute erg challenge in exchange for a donation. By the end of the day, whoever rowed the farthest won a basketball signed by men's basketball coach Roy Williams.
All of the proceeds will support breast cancer research at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
"It's so encouraging because people are like, 'Hey, what's this about?'" Tarnowski said. "Or, 'Hey, I see you're supporting breast cancer research? Can you tell me more about that?' It's just been so uplifting and rewarding for all the work that has gone into this."
By Friday, the team's fundraising total neared $5,000. The goal is to raise $10,000 by the end of October. To donate online, click here.
"One of the things that's so important is they do this every year," said Chancellor Carol Folt, who was among the many visitors to the rowing team's booth Wednesday. "So that means the Cancer Center can actually depend on this extra revenue, and the truth is they can never have too much in the fight against cancer. It's a wonderful commitment."
Planning for the Erg-A-Thon begins months in advance, Tarnowski said. And it requires a lot of help from the team as a whole.
Multiple people were needed to carry the ergs from the rowing room in the Woollen Gym basement to the Pit. It then took about an hour to set up and decorate the team's booth. With several other student-operated booths in the Pit, Tarnowski also relied on many of her teammates to encourage students and others passing by to visit their booth and make a donation.
Breast cancer awareness and research isn't just something Tarnowski plays for. Her teammates do, too.
"I always feel kind of guilty being like, 'Guys, can you please? I need the help,'" Tarnowski said. "But they have gone above and beyond anything that I've asked, just in setting up or hyping up the event.
"It just makes me love my team that much more."
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Players Mentioned
Varsity
/ Women's Rowing
Varsity
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MBB: Kyan Evans Intro Press Conference
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