For Immediate Release
Contact:
Ed Levin
Publicity Director
Dad Vail Regatta
levins51@verizon.net
Philadelphia, PA – Classes may have ended at the University of Wisconsin but members of the women’s lightweight crew team are being taught a valuable history lesson.
When they heard coach Dusty Mattison registered their team for the 79th annual Dad Vail Regatta, presented by Independence Blue Cross and The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University the young women were excited to learn about the event named in honor of Wisconsin’s former men’s rowing coach Harry Emerson “Dad” Vail.
“They do,” said Mattison referring to her team’s understanding of how special attending the Dad Vail Regatta can be. “This year in particular we have talked a lot about the history of rowing at Wisconsin and the legacy they want to leave behind. It is really interesting how things weave together if you really pay attention. They are very proud to wear the “W” and be the ones to represent the University of Wisconsin.”
The Dad Vail Regatta, also presented by Coca-Cola and PECO will be staged on Friday May 12 and Saturday May 13 will be the first trip in the history of the women’s program to the largest collegiate regatta in the country that features over 100 universities and colleges and 3,500 athletes from around the country competing for Gold Medals.
Mattison said, “It is very special! One thing we always say is there are Badgers everywhere we travel and this just confirms that. The Badger pride runs very deep at Wisconsin and it is fun to bring that with us to the largest collegiate regatta in the country. We feel honored to be representing one of the original founders of the regatta. I have always heard about what a great race Dad Vail Regatta is. Fortunately, with Eastern Sprints scheduled at the end of April it allows us to race at Dad Vail. This race gives us an opportunity to line up against very competitive crews before heading into IRA’s. There are five weeks between Eastern Sprints and IRA’s. It is important we stay connected to that racing atmosphere and to be put in as many different racing situations as possible.”
While this may be the first trip east to the regatta named in honor of the man who kept Wisconsin rowing going year after year, it will hopefully be a memorable one and the first of many trips to come.
To learn more about “Dad” Vail, please go to www.dadvail.org and click on the history of the Dad Vail Regatta under the General Information tab.
About Independence Blue Cross
Independence Blue Cross is the leading health insurance organization in southeastern Pennsylvania. With our affiliates, we serve more than 8.5 million people in 25 states and the District of Columbia, including more than 2.5 million in the region. For almost 80 years, we have been enhancing the health and wellness of the people and communities we serve by delivering innovative and competitively priced health care products and services; pioneering new ways to reward doctors, hospitals, and other health care professionals for coordinated, quality care; and supporting events that promote wellness. To learn more visit www.ibx.com. Connect with us on Facebook at ibx.com/facebook and on Twitter at @ibx. Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
About – Jefferson
Jefferson, through its academic and clinical entities of Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health, including Abington Health and Aria Health, is reimagining health care for the greater Philadelphia region and southern New Jersey. Jefferson has 23,000 people dedicated to providing the highest-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients, educating the health professionals of tomorrow, and discovering new treatments and therapies to define the future of care. With a university and hospital that date back to 1824, today Jefferson is comprised of six colleges, nine hospitals, 34 outpatient and urgent care locations, and a multitude of physician practices throughout the region, serving more than 100,000 inpatients, 373,000 emergency patients and 2.2 million outpatients annually.
