Team fundraisers are nothing out of the ordinary at Jackson-Reed, but the sale of trees and wreaths by the crew team stands out as one of the longest running and community oriented.
To some people, the crew team’s holiday goods sale is more than a fundraiser, it’s a tradition. The sale occurs at Broad Branch Market, a local shop which is located just across the street from Lafayette Elementary School, in the heart of Chevy Chase.
The shop is considered by the people of Chevy Chase to be the heart of the community, and also a very convenient spot to buy whatever you need. To many in the community, the yearly sale is a welcomed sign of the holiday season and many of them have been buying their trees there for many years.
This would include the families of some athletes on the team, who have purchased holiday goods from the team years before being involved in the sale themselves. “Getting to know what it’s like to sell trees when I’ve gone here for ten years is really special,” said freshman rower Ben Wilding.
All of the trees and wreaths are set out in front of Broad Branch Market, with trees of four different sizes. The purchase of the item is made at the register of the market. Then, volunteers would make adjustments to the tree, such as trimming certain limbs and cutting off part of the trunk, and thenoffer to either tie the tree to the top of the buyer’s car or carry the tree to their house.
The trees are all purchased by the owner of Broad Branch Tracy Stannard, who then gives the crew team a cut of the money in exchange for their work in selling the trees.
The community oriented nature of Broad Branch Market provides a strong foundation for the team’s sale, also giving the team a better appreciation for the community that it serves. To many of the athletes, it brought a great deal of satisfaction to realize that the people they were selling trees to were mostly families, many of whom have young children. “It’s nice because it’s a local market, all of the families are there to buy whatever they need, especially families coming from Lafayette,” said senior rower Lia Pollock.
“You can tell that it’s families with their kids coming to pick out the trees.”
The funds earned from the sale go to the total yearly budget of the crew program. It goes towards the maintenance and purchasing of more boats and ERG machines, as well as funding the team’s entry into various events, speakers for the coxswains to communicate with the team, and any other spending that the team requires.
However, the fundraiser does much more for the team than just making money. It gives the athletes an opportunity to connect to the community that is supporting it. Through their partnership with Broad Branch Market, Jackson-Reed crew has established a firm connection with its local community, and that has been very valuable for the team. “It’s a comfortable feeling to have a community that will support Jackson-Reed Crew,” commented senior athlete and captain of the boys varsity team Mason Wetzel. “If I move back to DC at some point in my life, I’ll definitely come back here and buy a tree.
Furthermore, the sale gives the athletes an opportunity to have a feeling of responsibility for the crew team’s funds. Director of JR crew and coach of the girls varsity team Chris Rickard said that, “It’s about the ownership of the program. It brings a lot to our athletes to have the opportunity to participate in the sport, so to have some ownership for where the funds come from and for them to put in the work to raise these funds is an amazing opportunity.”
