5/25/2023 0 Comments Omega by Aiden BatesRalph Sylvester ’50 (left) talks with Bates rowing team members Aidan Braithwaite ’23 of Milton, Mass., Isaac Levinger ’24 of Rockville, Md., and Charles Renvyle ’25 of Hopkinton, N.H., during the dedication of the new rowing shell at Perry Atrium in Pettengill Hall on April 29, 2023. That’s because it was a hope come true for the Bates rowing program: to name a Bates boat in honor of the man who sat before them, Ralph Sylvester ‘50 - nonagenarian, World War II combat veteran, and beloved member of the Bates and Lewiston-Auburn communities. With that, a big cheer erupted from the crowd gathered in Pettengill Hall’s Perry Atrium on April 29 - the loudest coming from members of the Bates rowing teams. In a soft but steady voice, he said, “I christen thee Ralph Sylvester.” The 98-year-old man leaned forward in his wheelchair and slowly poured a glass of champagne onto the hull of the newest Bates rowing shell. Share on Email Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
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