Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/1510511
12 WAC Magazine | wac.net first take the boys in the boat By Darrick Meneken, Director of Communications It's taken a decade, but the long-awaited Hollywood adaptation of "e Boys in the Boat," the best-selling nonfiction nov- el by author Daniel James Brown, is set to hit the big screen on December 25. e movie delivers a liberal interpretation of the real-life events in which the Washing- ton Athletic Club played an integral role. Faced with a $5,000 fundraising need following the team's win at the national championship in Poughkeepsie, New York, coach Al Ulbrickson turned to WAC member and Seattle Post-Intelli- gencer sports editor Royal Brougham to spearhead a last-ditch fundraising campaign, headquartered in the WAC Clubhouse. anks to the efforts of WAC mem- bers, University of Washington students, and many others in Seattle and around the region—including the hometowns of each of the nine crew members—the money was quickly raised, sending the team on to infamy. Seven weeks aer their come-from- behind victory on the Hudson River, the eight rowers and their coxswain from the University of Washington edged out Italy (second) and Germany (third) to take Olympic gold in front of the German Führer with the world listening by radio. ree years later, Germany's invasion of Poland would mark the official beginning of World War II. e story of the nine men in the boat who did the improbable—winning Olym- pic gold despite so many odds against them—largely faded to history until the 2013 publication of Brown's book, which notes the important role played by the Washington Athletic Club, including hosting the team in the run-up to their Olympic gold and raising funds for their trip across the Atlantic. Although the WAC goes unmen- tioned in the film, which was pre- screened in Seattle this past September to a small private audience that included WAC President & CEO Chuck Nelson and Chairman of the Board Roger Wylie, along with University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce, the Club's role in funding and assisting the 1936 team was monumental. "is is an American story, this is a Seattle story, and this is a University of Washington story," Chuck says. "But it's also a WAC story. What those rowers accomplished represents the heart and soul of what our Club has always been about—teamwork, leadership, commit- ment, working together to create excel- lence and represent our community well." The Boys in the Boat finally splashes into theaters WAC played integral role in helping send 1936 crew team to Berlin Olympics We're giving away two tickets to the Seattle premiere of The Boys in the Boat, directed by George Clooney, and starring Callum Turner. The premiere is set for early December, three weeks prior to the film's official release on December 25. As an early supporter and advocate of the film, the WAC has been in touch with film studios since movie rights were initially acquired. To enter to win tickets to the Seattle premiere, visit wac.net/oarsmen and answer this question: Which WAC member and famous Seattle sportswriter played a prominent role in raising funds for the 1936 Olympic rowing team? One winner will be selected from correct entries received by November 17, 2023. u Joe Rantz, third from left, is the central character of The Boys in the Boat. The 1936 Olympic gold-medal team gathered for this photo in the Washington Athletic Club lobby during a team reunion at the Club, which played an instrumental role in supporting the crew. Win a trip to the premiere