If you happen to be driving along University Circle next week, do not be alarmed if you see men rowing in the Reflecting Pond. Theta Chi will be hosting their 10th Annual Row-a-Thon taking place from March 10 at 12 p.m. to March 11 at 12 a.m.
Over the course of the 36-hour Row-a-Thon, the 30 members of Theta Chi will pair up and take two-hour shifts rowing a canoe in the Reflecting Pond to help raise money for asthma research and California pollution.
For the brothers of the Eta Tau chapter of Theta Chi, the annual Row-a-Thon is more than just an event.  Current Theta Chi President Broneil Ishaya explained it is something that hits close to home.
“The annual Theta Chi Row-a-Thon started in spring of 2004, in honor of Theta Chi President John Tooma,” Ishaya said.  “At the age of 22, Tooma suffered a fatal asthma attack on Labor Day weekend in Santa Cruz with other Theta Chi brothers.”
Upon Tooma’s passing, the brothers of Theta Chi united as a chapter to create the Row-a-Thon in hopes of raising awareness and funds for the organization California Breathing.
California Breathing is dedicated to supporting the fight against asthma and air pollution. The organization strives to improve the lives of those with asthma in California by focusing on disease surveillance and developing interventions that improve environmental conditions that lead to or worsen asthma.
With the American Lung Association ranking Modesto as the 13th most polluted city in the U.S. in the 2013 State of the Air report, it’s no surprise that asthma is such an epidemic in our area.
According to the California Breathing website, “In Stanislaus County, approximately 62,000 children and adults have been diagnosed with asthma.”
The annual Theta Chi Row-a-Thon continues in Tooma’s honor. All profits and donations raised at the event will go to California Breathing to continue research on asthma and respiratory health.
For those interested in supporting the cause, be sure to stop by the donation box at Theta Chi’s table in front of the Reflecting Pond.
Theta Chi will issue donation letters with a tax-deductible receipt with the tax ID provided.
For more information regarding the Row-a-Thon or donations, contact Luis Magaña, Public Relations and Recruitment Chairman of Theta Chi, at 209-338-4528.