Author: Lori Mahan

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Camp Abilities Saratoga and the Saratoga Springs Lions Club are very pleased to announce the receipt of a $12,100 grant from the Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable Trust. 

Camp Abilities will be back this summer for their seventh year. The camp, held at Skidmore College, is a weeklong overnight camp for children and teens who are blind, visually impaired, and deafblind. This camp is a service project of the Saratoga
Springs Lions.

The camp has been operating annually since its inception in 2014 and serves 26 campers. The Camp is staffed with 20 counselors residing on-site, a number of sports specialists, 24-hour RN coverage, and various other staff as needed during a week filled with fun and exciting activities.

The monies will enable Camp Abilities Saratoga to purchase a second trailer which will be used for storage of the specialized equipment needed for the variety of educational activities the campers are able to experience. The trailer should be fully customized and ready by this May or June, well before the campers arrive at Skidmore College for their big week the first part of August.

 “The generosity of Alfred Z. Solomon or of the Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable Trust should not be a surprise to anyone in the Saratoga Springs area,” says John McDonald, Board President of Camp Abilities Saratoga. 

“In fact, a previous gift from this same Trust enabled the purchase of our first trailer which now is used to house a variety of equipment and the twenty tandem bikes that the campers like so much,” McDonald said.

Over the years the Alfred Z. Solomon charitable Trust has been a very generous supporter of CAS. 

Camp Abilities of Saratoga is one of 26 Camp Abilities in the world, it is the only one that is run by a Lions organization, which aids in the fundraising and organization of the camp. Camp Abilities is completely free for its campers, and the counselors, who are graduate and undergraduate students studying adaptive sports technology and education, participate as a form of service, only for a moderate stipend. 

Donation and fundraising opportunities to support the Camp Abilities Saratoga are available all year. For further information visit campabilitiessaratoga.org/donate.

“Lions serve. It’s that simple, and it has been since we first began in 1917. Our clubs are places where individuals join together to give their valuable time and effort to improving their communities, and the world. The Lions Club aims to empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote international understanding through Lions Club,” the Lions website said. 

Photos provided.

SCHUYLERVILLE ­— On Sunday, February 23, Schuylerville student Hannah Klingebeil took first place in the NYSPHSAA Championship Slalom races at West Mountain. Congratulations, Hannah!

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Starting on Saturday, March 14, the Spa Saints will be hosting their 30th Annual Saints Baseball Camp, concluding on March 15. This two-day camp has something to offer for all ages. The children will have access to an all-star local baseball team and their award-winning, NYS Baseball Hall of Fame inductee coaching staff.

Supervised by Alphonse Lambert, head coach of Saints baseball for the last 32 years, and Dale Long, Jr., assistant coach for 12 years, children will have the amazing opportunity to learn from the best.

Saints baseball has won 15 league, five sectional, and three regional championships. This year’s team is looking good!

Ages 5-12 are accepted into this camp and have designated time slots: from 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m., ages 5-6 will be at camp; 10:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. ages 7-8; 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ages 9-10; and 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for ages 11-12 on both days.

Participants are not required to do both days, but the option is available. Both sessions cost $60 per child or one day is only $30 per child. Pre-registration is suggested due to popularity of the camp. Walk-ins are accepted if there is space on the day. 

“These sessions are designed to give each player professional instruction in such vital areas as hitting, pitching, defense, and base running. There will be individual attention paid to each player,” stated in the brochure.

Coach Lambert said this will be a very hands-on clinic where participants will be “working to improve their skills.”

Players must bring baseball hat, glove, and a bat. Attire is shorts or sweats, t-shirt, and sneakers.

For more information, visit www.spasaints.com or contact Coach Lambert at 518-338-8996.

SARATOGA COUNTY — Women who are interested in completing their first 5K, becoming more competitive runners, or setting a new PR or “personal record,” are invited to join the 10th annual Freihofer’s Training Challenge, which kicks off Monday, March 16 at sites throughout the Capital Region. 

Participants can sign up for the 11-week course to 5K program when they register online for the Freihofer’s Run for Women. Online registration through the 5K registration (freihofersrun.com) is the only method of registering for this program.

“Whether it’s your first or 30th time running/walking the 5K, our program can help you. We offer a beginner program for those who are new to running and an intermediate program for those who completed last year’s challenge or want more interval workouts,” said Kristen Hislop, co-director, Freihofer’s Run for Women. 

“Our advanced program is tailored to those who want to run longer and are ready for focused speed and distance workouts. Our mentors encourage participants to move groups based on how they feel and how they are running. In May, we preview the Freihofer’s course, which is always a fun and uplifting workout,” Hislop explained.

The Training Challenge costs $55 and includes a Training Challenge tech shirt; seminars and clinics relating to strength training, nutrition, injury prevention, running form and core strength; and offers from program partners, including a free 10-week Capital District YMCA membership.

Training Challenge registrants, who are welcome at all locations, are asked to select one of the Monday, Wednesday, Thursday Training Challenge sessions.

Mondays: 
• The Corning Preserve at 6:30 a.m. (until there is morning light and then it will move to 6 a.m.)
• The Crossings of Colonie (580 Albany Shaker Rd., Loudonville) at either 1 p.m. or 6 p.m.

Wednesdays: 
6 p.m. at these YMCA branches: 
• Bethlehem, 900 Delaware Ave., Delmar
• Greenbush, 20 Community Way, East Greenbush
• Guilderland, 250 Winding Brook Drive
• Southern Saratoga, One Wall Street, Clifton Park
• Troy, 2500 21st St., Troy
Note: Those choosing a Y location will receive a membership if not already a member.

Thursdays:
• 6 p.m. at iRun LOCAL, 425 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 

Saturdays: 
A group workout session will then be held each Saturday at 8:30 a.m. at Colonie Town Park (71 Schermerhorn Rd., Cohoes).  This session will conclude with seminars and clinics relating to strength training, nutrition, injury prevention, running form and core strength.

Those in the intermediate and advanced groups will incorporate an additional weekly workout on their own schedule.

“The program is a gradual build,” explained Hislop. 

“Whether you join the beginner or advanced group, each session builds on the previous, so you never do too much. Our beginners will start with 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking. We alternate that for a total of 20 minutes. Each workout includes a dynamic warm-up, followed by stretching at the end. The program is tailored to all levels of runners and certainly all ages,” she stated.

For those who can’t attend Freihofer’s Training Challenge sessions in person, but would still like to increase their fitness levels, a virtual Training Challenge program is also offered. The program, which costs $10, features e-mails sent 3-4 times a week outlining workouts for beginner, intermediate and advanced runners. 

“I would say to people who have never done this before, sign up, take a chance and I promise you won’t regret it,” added Hislop.

“We have awesome mentors who are ready to join you for your workouts. Set your fears aside, leave the I can’ts at home, and come run with us,” she said.

To register for the Training Challenge or virtual program, visit freihofersrun.com/training-challenge. Registration closes Wednesday, April 1. 

For more information about the Freihofer’s Run for Women, Kids’ Run and Freihofer’s Junior 3K Run, visit freihofersrun.com. From the home page, you can also link to the event’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. 

Event sponsors: Freihofer’s, Price Chopper Supermarkets, The City of Albany and 99.5 The River.

SARATOGA SPRINGS ­— “The more you dream, the more you achieve.” – Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps.

Eleventh grader Luke Baringer understands how swimmer Phelps feels. He is a top student, with a 95 average last quarter, at Saratoga Springs High School, and he is an asset to their swimming and golf teams.

“I started swimming the summer before third grade competitively. When I was in 8th grade I decided to swim on Saratoga’s team,” Baringer explained.

He swam for the Sharks competitively which is the Schenectady/Saratoga swim club.

“I just loved to swim, I thought it was interesting. I practiced a lot the summer before I started in a pool where I could swim laps,” he said.

This year, Saratoga had a small team of only 20 swimmers, and that was their biggest challenge and greatest asset.

“We were a close team, we’re all good friends. After every swim meet, we’d go to McDonald’s and it was a lot of fun,” Baringer said.

He swam in two races: the 200 free and the 100 free. In sectionals, he swam the 200 in 155 seconds and the 100 in 52 seconds.

He loves the team mentality the most about swimming.

“Being on a team and making that team effort instead of being on your own and having to fight for yourself, it’s really fun to have everyone cheer you on,” he said nostalgically. His coach, William Asay, was “excellent.”

Baringer is also a golfer, which he says is a drastically different mentality from swimming.

“They’re both so different. Golf is a big mental sport and it takes a lot of practice. Swimming is just about training hard,” he said.

Golf is Baringer’s favorite sport, and he intends to play in college.

With one year of high school left, he intends to swim again next season and start training in the summer.

“This summer I plan on doing some open water swimming with my friends to prep for next season. Last summer I went to the Gators Club in Glens Falls. I swam there twice a week to train and get in shape for this past season,” he said.

School is also very important to him and last quarter he had a 95 average.

“Typically, after a day of practice I’ll get home around 6 o’clock and I’ll spend time on my academics. I probably do homework for about two and a half hours every night, I work hard,” Baringer explained.

He cites his parents, Mike and Amy, and his teammates as the biggest support system on his swimming journey.

Volunteers and members of the young athletes’ program, which includes children with disabilities. 
Photo #2 and #4: Featured member of the young athletes’ program, Ryland and his father Craig Mill. Rylands parents enjoy the program because it has helped grow his confidence while also working on his social, cognitive, and motor skills. Ryland participated in the program with his brother and sister.Photos by SuperSource Media, LLC.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Regional YMCA (SRYMCA) officially kicked off its “Imagine a Better Us” Annual Campaign on Sunday, February 23, to ensure that everyone in our community has access to vital community programs and resources that support youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.

Every day, SRYMCA works to support those who need us most by addressing community issues, nurturing the potential of every child and teen, providing quality childcare, offering chronic disease prevention programs, and provide support to our neighbors in need. Imagine a community that eliminates financial barriers and provides a welcoming and friendly space for all to learn, grow, and thrive.

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“Throughout our region, countless people know the Y. But there’s so much more to our Y than one might think”, said Andrew Bobbitt, Chief Executive Officer of the Saratoga Regional YMCA. 

“The Y allows our community to connect and engage with their friends and neighbors. In essence, you become a part of the Y family. As a charity, we’re dedicated to continuing to bring our community together, addressing their most pressing needs, and ensuring everyone has access to our programs and services,” Bobbitt continued. 

This year, SRYMCA hopes to raise $400,000. The Annual Campaign provides life-changing experiences and makes our whole community stronger through YMCA childcare, summer camp, aquatics, sports, wellness and many other vital programs and services, assuring that no one is turned away due to lack of funds.

Last year, charitable gifts from YMCA donors made it possible for the YMCA to award $650,000 in financial assistance; this was over a $200,000 increase from the previous year. 

To learn more about how you can support the Y’s mission, please contact Allison D’Antonio, Strategy and Development Director at 518-583-9622, ext. 104 or allison.dantonio@srymca.org, or visit www.srymca.org/donate for more information.