Washington Winter Show 2013

The Old Dominion Boat Club of Alexandria, Virginia www.olddominionboatclub.com n the summer of 1880, Alexandria was a thriving seaport on the Potomac River leading into the Nation's Capitol and the port of I Georgetown. Though not as busy as before theWar Between the States, ships docked and sailed on a daily basis. The CivilWar had been over for 15 years and the city had recovered from four years of Union troops occupying it. Much of the activity was centered around the waterfront and the recreation afforded by the river. On a July day in 1880, a group of prominent Alexandrians decided to form a club for the use of the water and the physical well-being of its members – The Old Dominion Boat Club. The very first members were “Alexandrians of the highest order,” leaders of the business, civic and social corridors. The early members were canoeists, swimmers, sailing and rowing enthusiasts and quickly, ODBC became a big contributor to the sporting life on the Potomac. The Club has had a long relationship in the annals of competitive rowing and is considered “the place where scholastic rowing got its start in Virginia.” The Old Dominion Boat Club is the oldest boating club inVirginia and has always been a part of the Alexandria community since its inception. Among the Club's many humanitarian activities: sponsoring High School rowing; the founding of two Rowing Scholarships at T.C. Williams High School; Christmas Parties for the underprivileged; boating parties for the handicapped children of the city; helping the Salvation Army and the March of Dimes; and donations to Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Make A Wish Foundation of Virginia, and Victims of 9/11 Fund. Over the course of its 130+ year existence, the Old Dominion Boat Club continues a history of service to the community and a supporter to the social, recreational, civic, and material progress of the city. The Old Dominion Boat Club is a proud part of Alexandria History and its tradition for the sporting life on the Potomac.