by Maria Bournias, member of Row New York’s Competitive Para-Rowing Team
On June 10th, each and every one of the over 100,000 employees of Deloitte, the largest professional services firm in the world, was asked to volunteer for a cause they were passionate about. For Deloitte’s 17th annual Impact Day, myself and 30 of my fellow professionals chose Row New York! From the day I was fortunate enough to get involved with Row New York’s para-rowing program, it was life-changing. In addition to the physical strength benefits and team camaraderie Row New York instills, it transformed all aspects of my life from mental agility to health improvement. I wanted others in my work environment to appreciate Row New York’s contribution to the lives of thousands of New Yorkers, regardless of background or ability. And they did!
It was a beautiful day on Meadow Lake at the Queens boathouse! Matt, Breanne, Charlotte and Megan kicked off an exciting day. Understanding what Row New York does on a daily basis invigorated the Deloitte volunteers. They wanted to make a difference and contribute to the boathouse that means so much to hundreds of youth and para-rowing athletes. For some of the volunteers, it meant learning how to paint for the first time. For others, it was organizing and assembling new weight equipment dollies and pull-up bars. Some of the volunteers cleaned the coach launches and bay, and others organized the gas cabinet and locker rooms. And I was the lucky one who got bathroom cleaning duty (which was admittedly my first choice)! The transformation to the boathouse was obvious at the end of the day. And it was even more obvious to the Deloitte volunteers who said they couldn’t wait to come back next year.
On Impact Day, Deloitte employees collectively celebrated the firm’s long-standing, year-round commitment to making an #ImpactThatMatters in the communities we work in – and we made that impact at the Queens boathouse. I was proud of the firm I have worked at for the past 14 years, and I was even prouder of the organization I call home for evening practices three times a week and at summer regattas. The success of this day was made possible by the untiring efforts and dedication of the Row New York team – Matt, Breanne, Charlotte, and Megan. They made a day of scrubbing, cleaning, painting and lots of spiders both enjoyable and rewarding for all! Thank you for giving us this opportunity to make the boathouse a little brighter – both on the walls and in the spirits of all the volunteers!
Row New York sends a big thank you out to Maria and her fellow Deloitte colleagues for making a big impact at our boathouse!
