A total of $1,958 was raised at Sequim Bay Yacht Club’s “Reach & Row for Hospice” to benefit Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County (VHOCC) on Sept. 14.

Established in 1991 as the “Reach for Hospice” sailing race and later expanded to two race days to include a rowing/paddling event, Reach & Row for Hospice is the club’s year-long philanthropy and through the decades has raised more than $520,000 for VHOCC’s respite care fund, to provide support for the terminally ill and their families.

Photos courtesy of Sequim Bay Yacht Club Sequim Bay Yacht Club’s coxed quad team includes, from left, Ron Baumgardner, Jordan Schiefen, Gail Clark and Lynn Gilles, all of Sequim.

Taking top honors in the 5-kilometer, out-and-back race in Sequim Bay were Olympic Peninsula Rowing Association’s (OPRA) Cooper Disque, who placed first, and two boats from Rat Island Rowing and Sculling Club: Ron Moller, placing second, and Rat Island’s “Quick Quad” with Donna Daus, Kim Matthews, Ted Shoulberg and David Winters, placing third.

The top youth rower was OPRA’s Ryan Halfacre, age 12, in his first-ever regatta, rowing a single.

Others among the 19 rowers and paddlers participating in the 5k, down-and-back race in Sequim Bay were:

• OPRA’s Mason Mai and Noah Oberly placed first in double flat water shells, followed by Diane Froula and Rudy Heessels of Sequim Bay Yacht Club, and OPRA’s Andrew Halberg and James Lesniak, OPRA. Placing in the double open water category were SBYC’s Amy Holms and Christi Jolly, and Kathy Frank and Tom Mattinson, Port Townsend residents rowing for SBYC.

Photo courtesy of Sequim Bay Yacht Club / Racers Kip Tulin, left, and Robert Niclas, far right, with Niclas grandsons Andrew Niclas, second from left, and William Nelson.

• Top quad competitors were the SBYC’s “Joe Rantz,” with Carolyn DeSalvo, WendyRae Johnson, Christi Jolly and Jeanne Neal. Second went to “Quick Quad” and OPRA’s “4X Beats Full House,” with Abby Cassel, Mariah Disque, Kadence Greul and Haverly Patterson, third.

• Competing in the coxed quad category were SBYC’s “Odyssey,” with Ron Baumgardner, Gail Clark, Frank DeSalvo, Lynn Gilles and Jordan Schiefen in first, and OPRA’s Peyton Acker, Ann Patterson, Bridget Hazeyama, Eagle Kuniga and Quinn Patterson placing second.

Port Townsend residents Kathy Frank and Tom Mattinson compete in the Sept. 14 Reach & Row for Hospice.

Other participants were Sequim’s own Robert Niclas, Michael Wu, Kent Johnson, Joel Cziok and Kip Tulin, and Noah Seixas of Port Townsend.

For more information about Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County and SBYC’s fundraisers for VHOCC’s respite care program, see volunteerhospice.org and facebook.com/sequimbayyachtclub.