Man Gives $50,000 to OCC Rowing Crew

Every year for the past 10 years, Richard Berg has expressed his admiration for the 60-member Orange Coast College rowing crew by purchasing oars and equipment for team members, who practice every morning near his Lido Isle bay-front home.

But this year, for his 50th birthday, Berg decided he wanted to do something extra special for the team, known as the Pirates.

After the crew completed the 2,000-meter North Lido course early on the morning of Jan. 16, Berg walked up to crew coach and college President David Grant, handed him an envelope and said, “This is my 50th birthday, and instead of getting something, I want to give something.”

“When I saw it was $50,000, it sort of took my breath away,” Grant said. “We have never received such a large gift of cash for the crew, ever.”

Grant said the team members were also dumbfounded.

“They were just astounded that one person, not some multinational corporation, would think enough . . . to be that supportive,” he said.

The next day, the crew went down to a launch near Berg’s home and sang “Happy Birthday” to him. “I’m certain it wasn’t the most beautiful rendition of it, but it was certainly heartfelt,” Grant said.

The gift will be used to establish an endowment to purchase supplies and equipment during “thin times,” Grant said.