New crew team has until March 31 to raise $5K: Anonymous donor sets time limits on matching funds Student who loves rowing, forms a team even before boats are purchased

Sparta - When Sparta's Finn Holovacs started high school as a first-year student, he was determined to start a rowing club. It's not an easy task when attending a high school that doesn't even have oars, much less boats, a vehicle, nor trailer for transport. Undaunted, Finn rowed alone, representing Sparta High School in his first regatta (rowing race) in the spring of 2016. One year later he'd entered several regattas, including in Philadelphia. By that time the Sparta Rowing Club was officially approved by the Board of Education, and even indoor training became possible, thanks to a grant and donation to from the Sparta Education Fund's (SEF) for rowing equipment for the Sparta High School physical education department. The initial grant was written by rowing club advisor Tim Holovacs in conjunction with Cathy Willie to bring rowing to the gym classes. A second grant was requested by Tim and Cathy Reese for additional ergometers to expand the program. This expansion allowed Sparta Special Olympics athletes to train and compete in rowing for the first time at CRASH-P's in Princeton this year, under the guidance of coaches Jennifer Schock, Monical Wall, and Tina Johnson.
By that following spring, the Sparta Rowing Club launched two quads (boats for four) onto Lake Mohawk along Sleep Lagoon Beach, thanks to a donation from the Isak Anderson Memorial Fund, in honor of Isak, a Sparta student who passed away suddenly before entering Sparta High School.
The club's goal is to help other students experience what one of the athletes described as a “ life altering experience” of rowing. They hope to give more students an opportunity to experience the camaraderie, athleticism, teamwork, and sportsmanship of rowing on a beautiful water ways, in addition to the possibilities of scholarships.
Finn was recruited in the fall of 2018 by Drexel and Temple Universities in Philadelphia. Both universities are Division I NCAA schools. He has decided to commit to rowing for Drexel University in the fall of 2019. Club advisor Tim Holovacs remembers Isak fondly, and holds it as important to further Isak's legacy through growing the Sparta Rowing Club, and also would like to help other students experience the joy of the sport that his son, Finn, did.
To that end, the Sparta Rowing Club is requesting donations. They're especially key at this time because an anonymous donor has given $5,000 to the club, and has promised to match that amount again, if the Sparta Rowing Club can gain $5,000 additional donations from the public by March 31. So the clock is ticking and the student athletes and their adviser are hoping for doantions to be made via their Go Fund Me Page. Donations are tax deductible, as the club is a 501(c)3 organization. To help the Sparta High School Crew Team get started, make donations to the club's Go Fund Me account by visiting https://www.gofundme.com/4k7knd or U.S. mail checks to; Sussex County Rowing Club, 10 Pine Cone Lane, Sparta, NJ, 07871 and visit their Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/SpartaRowing/.