Boats to be used in a program in Oklahoma City to teach rowing to students bear the names of six Sisters of Mercy. The rowing initiative is sponsored by Mercy.
Mercy joined the dedication in November of a fleet of six new boats that will be used by students in a rowing league aimed at fostering diversity, equity and inclusion in the Oklahoma City metro region.
The boats will be used in Riversport OKC's OpportUNITY Initiative, which Mercy is sponsoring. The program provides rowing scholarships to students who might not otherwise have access to the sport in Oklahoma City.
"When we were approached to support this amazing program, it was an easy 'yes' for Mercy to be involved," Dr. Jesse Campbell, regional physician executive at Mercy, said in a release. "In the way that we believe everyone deserves access to high-quality health care, every student should have access to high-quality team sports and world-class training facilities that position them for success long into their future."
Mercy co-workers voted on names for each of the new boats and selected six Sisters of Mercy who have served in Oklahoma in recent years. Those chosen were Sr. Rose Power, Sr. Emerita Stoulig, Sr. Miriam Terese Alvarado, Sr. Coletta Massoth, Sr. Mary Claver and Sr. Carolyn Stoutz. The boats were dedicated in their honor on the anniversary of the death of Mercy foundress Catherine McAuley.
"We realized the tradition of naming boats after women was the perfect way to pay tribute to our own Sisters of Mercy, hundreds of whom have served Oklahomans long before Oklahoma was a state," said Jim Gebhart, community president of Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City.