Dad Vail Regatta to stay in Philadelphia

The Dad Vail Regatta will stay in Philadelphia after all.
A plan to move the coveted rowing event to New Jersey was dropped after a meeting of city and federal officials.

The Dad Vail Regatta will stay in Philadelphia after all. A plan to move the coveted rowing event to New Jersey was dropped after a meeting of city and federal officials.

Listen:
[audio: 091217tmregatta.mp3]

The Dad Vail was ready to move to Rumson, New Jersey due to increasing costs in Philadelphia and decreasing sponsorship. Pennsylvania Congressman Bob Brady was among those who convinced organizers to stay in the city. He says the race is a tradition that needs to be maintained in the city.

Brady: Most important is that we never lost sight of the fact of the young men and women who participate in it and it’s a tradition once we start losing our tradition we lose our identity and I’m never going to sit back and let the city lose its identity.

The deal is for five years, which gives the city and organizers the ability to work together and recruit long-term sponsors, although no definite financial commitment has been made by anyone.

The next Dad Vail Regatta is scheduled for May of 2010.