Chestertown Tea Party 10 mile run

Every American knows that the patriots of Boston disguised themselves as Indians and threw British tea into Boston Harbor to protest the excessive taxes on tea without the benefit of representation in Parliment. What most Americans don't know is that when the patriots of Chestertown heard the news about the dust-up in Beantown, they marched straight down High Street to the town dock and after boarding the British bark Geddes, threw the King's tea right into the Chester River. Unlike their Boston counterparts, however, the Chestertown patriots made no attempt to hide their identity behind a mask. We still have that same pluck today at Washington College, both in the classroom and on the athletic fields.

Chestertown is a place where history is alive. We celebrate our patriotic heritage each year in May during the Chestertown Tea Party. There is a reenactment of the 'tossing of the tea', a parade by marching bands and soldiers in authentic colonial garb, several blocks full of craft shops, musical events by the score, and a food festival that runs the gamut from crab cakes to ribs, lamb-ka-bobs, fish sandwiches & funnel cakes. Before we tuck in to all that fine food, we have to earn our meal and that is where the race comes in. The Chestertown Tea Party 10 mile race is one of the finest races in the Delmarva area. Each year we field a team of faculty, coaches, students and alumni and every year our team is larger. We each run our own pace. Most importantly, everyone has fun!

Here you see part of this year's Washington College team at the starting line before the race. Among the crew pictured are: Daniella '98, Professors Mike Kercher & George Spilich from Psychology, Amy '99, Coaches Jane Hall and Sarah Feyerherm, and Professor Rich Gillin representing the English Department. Missing from the picture was Professor Lisa Graham from Modern Languages as well as Coach Mike Davenport, Coach Eleanor Schriver and alumni Dr. Becca Fincher-Kiefer (now a professor at Gettysburg), her husband Chris and their family, alumni brothers Tom and Carl Fornoff and Carl's family. Alumni and local attorneys Mitch Mowell and Susan Hayman also ran well, Bill Breslin, and Dr. Steve Radis (M.A.,WC) also made the run.