One of the great aspects of McQuaid Crew is the community we build by having our entire team share meals together. In order to make this happen, we ask each family to volunteer for a hospitality duty.

There are several ways to make a contribution to the team.

1. Staples – For every regatta we pitch in to provide breakfast for the rowers, coaches and families that need to arrive before dawn. A Sign-Up Genius link will be emailed to all crew families with the items that need to be brought to every regatta. Once you sign up for the staple item, you will be responsible for bringing it on the morning of each regatta. For some regattas, not all rowers will be required to be at the site first thing in the morning. If your rower does not need to arrive until later in the day, please be sure to send your staple item with a team member that will be going to the site early. 
2. Cooking at Regattas – Every new family will be partnered with an experienced family so that they can volunteer for cooking duties together. Cooking duties include choosing a lunchtime meal, shopping for food, preparing and cooking (if necessary). Families will be reimbursed for purchased food up to $250.00. We have a hospitality trailer that we bring to every regatta that has plates, cups, utensils, serving trays, grills and tents amongst other items. There are meal suggestions on the back of this page, but families may serve what they choose. There will be a Sign–Up Genius link sent out before every regatta for families to indicate the total number of people that will be eating lunch at the regattas. That sign up will be used to inform the cooking families of the number of people to plan for and for accounting to keep track of what each family owes for hospitality lunches.

Other Duties at Regattas – There are several other volunteer opportunities including helping to set up and break down the tents, tables, grill(s), maintaining trailer inventory, refilling water, refilling propane tanks, washing dishes and the most important duty - towing the trailer to and from a regatta.

As you can see, there are many things that need to be done to make each regatta a great experience, and with everyone’s help, the work ends up being very light for each family. Soon you will be receiving several Sign-Up Genius links to volunteer for the different opportunities. Please be sure to sign up for something and, if you are not sure about what to do or have any questions, call or email us. We are happy to help in any way that we can.

Jennifer and Brian Gardinier
jgardin22@gmail.com, brian.gardinier@gmail.com,
690-3370, 355-2964

General Cooking Info:

• The maximum amount for reimbursement is $250. This amount includes all sides, beverages and desserts.
• Only one meal per regatta is reimbursable, usually lunch. If someone chooses to cook a breakfast, it is not reimbursable.
• If you choose to have a meal catered, it is only reimbursable up to the maximum amount of $250.
• Items purchased for a meal, but not used, should be returned or kept, but taken off the receipt for reimbursement. Please use the tax exempt form, see the Parent Coordinator, Darline O’Connor.
• Keep receipts and give/send them to Susie Gioia, Hospitality Treasurer, for reimbursement. We will provide her home address or you can give them to her at the Regatta.
• When you sign-up for a meal, it is a good idea to indicate what you will be cooking so people can be aware in case there are food allergies.
• The week leading up to a regatta, a head-count request through Sign-Up Genius will be sent. The head count is then provided to the family(s) that volunteered to cook days before the regatta so they can shop.
• A large propane grill, two stand-alone propane burners (to keep the food warm and/or to use for large pots of soup or chili) and aluminum pans, stands and sterno are available for use to cook.
• Also knives, cutting boards, serving utensils, etc., are in the trailer - but, it is a good idea to do as much prep as possible at home because kitchens are cleaner than table-tops in the tent.
• If food needs to be kept cold, please bring it in your own coolers and bring your own ice. We can also use the aluminum pans with ice to keep items cold.
• Day of the regatta, early - the cooking family should speak to coach about the timing of the meal - as this will vary depending on race times. Then, post the planned meal time on the whiteboard in the tent and adjust if race times run ahead/behind schedule.

Food ideas (suggestions but not limited to):

• Hots/hamburgers w/home fries (chunked up potato, pre-cook at home and bring to the site in a large aluminum pan then reheat on the cast-iron plate), vegetables, tossed salad, green beans w/ balsamic or cooked broccoli w/Italian dressing. If you want to be a hero bring cheese and bacon for the burgers.
• Chicken and/or Cheese Quesadillas - burritos, shredded cheddar, grilled chicken strips - chicken can be cut up, and put in a marinade, then grilled on-site, and assembled into quesadillas with cheese and lightly grilled again on our cast-iron hot plates. Top with sour cream, shredded lettuce and salsa (should bring large bowls and ice to keep sour cream cold), green veggie on side.
• Steak sandwiches - grilled roast beef with peppers and onions, cheese on a roll. Grilled potatoes or salt potatoes as a side, green salad.
• Grilled chicken - home fries, green vegetable. Chicken should be cut/prepped as much as possible and kept cold. Some families have done BBQ, others have used different marinades.
• Shish-Ka-Bobs - marinated chicken and/or beef with slices of onion and peppers on wooden skewers. Grilled, then served with brown rice and veggie on the side.
• Walking Tacos (tacos in a bag) - Prepare taco meat at home; bring in a large aluminum pan to heat on the grill. Provide a selection of lunch-size Doritos, Fritos, Sun-Chips, etc. Rowers and guests select a bag of chips, crush them up while the bag is sealed, then add a scoop of taco meat. A selection of cheese, sour cream, onions, peppers, salsa, and lettuce is provided to add. Green salad on the side.
• Chili and/or Chili dogs - cook at home, bring in your own large pot or borrow one from the trailer before the regatta. Heat on our propane burner, serve with shredded cheddar and a veggie.
• Other good sides: Mac salad, Pasta salad, German potato salad or the world famous Garbage Plate.