Why is Camp Lucy So Impactful for Girls?

Every generation has its obstacles, but the last three years have been particularly difficult for young people, and for teenage girls especially. So much of their lives have been online, where the complex realities of life are glossed over in favor of edited and curated content that leaves young women feeling “less than” more often than not.  

The technology that allows us all to connect more easily also means girls have access to stressors continuously and instantly. As their minds and bodies develop, they need real-life experiences to anchor them into a positive path to adulthood and build the resilience needed to manage those stressors. It is possible to develop strong, confident young women who can manage healthy boundaries around societal pressures if we’re intentional about it.

Girls need positive interactions with adults, empowering opportunities to learn about their strong bodies, and experiences where they forget about how they’re going to look on social media. They need to put their phones down, pick up a boat with their hands, and feel the powerful motion of moving across the water with a team of strong women in front of and behind them.

Camp Lucy Session 2, July 2022

How the 26.LU Event Helps Girls Attend Camp Lucy

And that’s why we row at 26.LU - and why we ask you to participate, donate, or fundraise.

It’s easy for us to focus on what you’ll get from rowing in 26-point LU (spending time with teammates, stickers and prizes, physical activity, and fun), but its real purpose – providing more girls with the opportunity to discover who they are and how they belong in the world through Camp Lucy – is an immeasurable impact. It costs $100 a day per camper to provide the program, and that cost is completely covered for the girls through generous donations. The 26-point LU event directly provides funding for more girls to attend our boathouse and partner boathouses in 2024. By participating and fundraising, you bring more girls to camp; it’s that simple!

Camp Lucy is a free ten-day camp that focuses on leaving participants feeling strong, powerful, supported, and brave. There really isn’t a better list of outcomes for a teenage girl whose journey to adulthood is far more psychologically complicated than ever before.  

Camp Lucy is a rowing camp that’s not just about rowing. The camp focuses on social-emotional development and life skills and is designed to empower and inspire our future trailblazers. We do this through (yes) rowing, workshops, and more. We row boats, we turn wrenches, we feel strong.   

Camp Lucy Creates Strong, Empowered Leaders

The girls who attend Camp Lucy are the future of our sport and our world. They are the strong, empowered leaders of tomorrow. Camp Lucy has the power to change a girl’s life, to bring out the qualities in her that will guide her future and impact everyone she encounters on her journey. Help us help make that possible. Sign up today for 26.LU with a friend or two (or more!). You’ll have fun and push yourself physically, but more importantly, you’ll provide an invaluable, formative experience for a girl who needs it.

We are so grateful for all of the teams who have already signed up and are currently fundraising. Can’t wait to see you on February 10th, 2024!

Camp Lucy at Renton Rowing Center, summer 2023