PCR named 2026 winner of the Wawa Foundation Hero Award
Dear PCR Community,
We are excited to share that PCR is the 2026 winner of The Wawa Foundation Hero Award, and we could not have done it without you.
This year’s award drew a record 553 nonprofit applicants, and PCR was honored just to be named one of the four finalists. From there, it was up to the public, and by the time voting closed, 9,450 votes had been cast, the most in the award’s history. Whether you cast one of those votes, shared our story with friends and family, or have simply been cheering our student-athletes on along the way, please know that your support meant the world to our team.
On July 2, we accepted the award during the Wawa Welcome America celebration, surrounded by some of our coaches and student-athletes. Among them were Seth, a PCR alum from the Class of 2020 who now coaches our novice team, and Akem, a Class of 2026 graduate heading to South Carolina State University this fall. Four of our current varsity student-athletes, Cherish, Abby, King, and Lilly, joined the celebration too. The four of them are spending the summer as junior coaches and PCR’s media interns.
Most of all, we hope this award shines a light on what is possible when we remove barriers and make rowing truly accessible to all young people. Our sport has always been about teamwork, resilience, and community. At PCR, we pair those lessons with academic support, mentorship, wellness programming, transportation, and swim lessons so that more than 400 Philadelphia public school students each year can experience everything rowing has to offer, both on and off the water. And thanks to supporters like you, it all stays completely free for our student-athletes and their families.
This win is a testament to the power of rowing and what our community can accomplish when we work together to make sure every young person has the opportunity to experience it. Thank you for being part of it.
With gratitude,
Caitlin
