General Info

WYRA's mission statement is to promote physical, mental, and social wellness in young people of all backgrounds, using the sport of rowing and related educational programs to instill essential lifelong values including responsibility, self-discipline, teamwork, leadership, commitment, and the pursuit of excellence. WYRA is located on 500 E. Front St. on the Christina River, a block and a half past the Wilmington Train Station and only minutes from I-95 and I-495. WYRA began as part of the Wilmington Rowing Club in 1989 and incorporated as Wilmington Youth Rowing Association in 1994. In 1993 ROW FOR IT!, WYRA's summer community rowing camps, began. For several years WYRA's boathouse was a small shed and orange trailer filled with used shells in the Wilmington Rowing Club's driveway. In 1998 WYRA found a new home in an old Pusey and Jones Machine Shop on the Christina River at Front and Lombard Sts. Thanks to the tremendous support from local foundations, companies, Riverfront Development Corp, the City of Wilmington, and many individuals we were able to purchase and renovate the 17, 000 sq. ft. building. We moved into our new boathouse in 1999. General info/boathouse phone: Faith Pizor 302 777 4533 fpizor at wyra.org