SARATOGA SPRINGS — Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day is back for 2023! For the first time since Covid, Ben and Jerry’s will host Free Cone Day at the Phila Street store on Monday, April 3, from 12-8 p.m.

The first Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day happened in 1979- one year after the original scoop shop opened in Burlington, VT. The day was meant to celebrate the anniversary and the customers who made it possible. The Saratoga store would like to thank its loyal customers and the community by giving a free scoop to all who visit.

Each year the store chooses a nonprofit community partner that aligns with the Core Values of Ben & Jerry’s Social Mission. This year the Saratoga store is partnering with two non-profits, the Saratoga Springs Public Library and the newly formed SoBro Conservancy of Saratoga. The library’s tenet of “creating and maintaining an environment of diversity, inclusion, and respect within the library and the greater community” is relevant today.

SoBro Conservancy’s mission aligns with the company’s Core Values of “restoring natural environments and increasing the diversity and abundance of ecosystems.” SoBro is transforming the urban parcel at 209 South Broadway into a pollinator-friendly green space. “We feel the regreening of this prominent location will not only attract bees, butterflies, and birds, but will benefit businesses by creating create a welcoming transition to the South Broadway corridor,” said founder Tom Denny.

Both nonprofits will receive a portion of the day’s tips.

Three vegan, dairy-free options will be available: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, made with Almond Milk; Colin Kaepernick’s Change The Whirled™, made with Sunflower Butter; and Strawberry Marshmallow Non-Dairy, made with Sunflower butter as well as sorbet. 

For more information visit www.benjerry.com.

BALLSTON SPA — Glenville Rotary Club invites you to attend the Doggie Paddle for Veterans on Saturday, April 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the VFW Ballston Spa, 68 East North St., Ballston Spa.

Going the distance for veterans in need of service dogs.

The Glenville Rotary Foundation Dinner will benefit Doggie Paddle with dinner, music, raffles, auction and more. Tickets are $65 (make checks payable to Glenville Rotary Foundation).

To learn more, visit doggiepaddle.org.

BALLSTON SPA — The sixth annual Yellow Ribbon Day Donation Drive to support the efforts of the Blue Star Mothers of America local chapter is underway. 

The collection of personal care and food items will run through April 6 and will be donated to the local chapter of the Blue Star Mothers of America, which will use the goods to put together “Freedom Boxes” and ship them to deployed military members who call the Capital Region home. The donation drive is held in conjunction with the annual celebration of New York State’s Yellow Ribbon Day, which takes place April 9 and is designated as a day to honor active-duty troops and their families. 

Donations can include items like cookie and cracker snack packages, microwavable soup cups, fruit snacks, granola bars, and beef jerky, as well as personal care items such as insect repellent wipes, toothbrushes, body wash (small), deodorant, lip balm, puzzle books, and more.   

Donated goods can be dropped off at the following locations during regular business hours:  Saratoga, Albany and Rensselaer County Clerk’s Offices; DMV locations in Saratoga and Rensselaer counties; Saratoga County Hannaford stores, and various town and village offices in Saratoga County (call to see if your local municipality has a collection box.)  

Monetary donations are also accepted. As a reference, it costs $18 postage to send each “Freedom Box.” The cost to fill one box is about $32, so a $50 donation covers the cost of filling and sending one box. Checks can be made payable to Blue Star Mothers of America-NY 2 and sent to PO Box 243, Delmar, NY 12054. Please write “In honor of Yellow Ribbon Day” in the memo section. To donate through PayPal, go to www.paypal.com/fundraiser/hub and search “Blue Star Mothers of America-NY2”.  

All items collected will be presented to the Blue Star Mothers during a Yellow Ribbon Day Ceremony at 11 a.m. Monday, April 10, at the Veterans Memorial, 162 Route 236, Halfmoon. The public is welcome to attend, and donations also can be brought to this event. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Giving Circle, a small, local charity that does big work in Saratoga Springs while also operating schools and medical clinics in rural Uganda, will honor founders Mark and Kelly Bertrand at a special gala at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 30 at Canfield Casino in Congress Park.

The Giving Circle’s annual Compassion Awards, chaired by Business for Good leaders Lisa and Ed Mitzen, will formally honor and recognize the Bertrands, who founded The Giving Circle after Hurricane Katrina and led the charity’s response to numerous natural disasters in the United States before expanding its work to Uganda.

The Giving Circle’s current projects include aiding three families of Ukrainian refugees. In the past year, volunteers also performed yard cleanups and led holiday caroling through its partnership with the Saratoga Senior Center; served regular meals to the homeless near Congress Park; and sent skilled tradesmen to perform home repairs for the economically disadvantaged.

For more information about the March 30 “Celebrating Compassion” event, go to: thegivingcircle.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Healthy Living has been named one of Progressive Grocer’s 25 Outstanding Independents. This award, honoring small businesses that bring communities together through local food, culture and more, celebrates monetary and non-monetary wins in the industry. 

Since 1986, the family-owned Healthy Living has brought nutritious food opportunities to shoppers. As it has grown, the stores — in South Burlington and Williston, VT, and Saratoga Springs — have offered to-go meals, accommodations for a variety of diets and preferences, high-quality wellness sections and a place to go where shoppers can trust that their well-being is the top priority. 

For more information visit healthylivingmarket.com

To see more of Progressive Grocer’s 25 Outstanding Independents visit www.progressivegrocer.com/progressive-grocer-honors-25-outstanding-independents

MIDDLE GROVE — Nipper Knolls Equine Center, Inc. announced they have been selected to receive a grant from the Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable Trust. The funds will be used to support the equine center’s Alfred Z. Solomon Veterans Program, an eight-week program offered to veterans at no cost in a one-to-one setting. 

Veterans can bring a guest if they choose to. The program covers basic horsemanship, horse training, and wagon driving. 

The Alfred Z. Solomon Veterans Program is located in Middle Grove and is endorsed by the Saratoga and Adirondack peer-to-peer mentor programs. Ashley Clothier, a graduate of the program and an Air Force veteran, manages the program as a member of Nipper Knolls Equine Center. 

Learn more about Nipper Knolls Equine Center, Inc. by visiting www.nipperknolls.com or www.facebook.com/nipperknolls

SARATOGA SPRINGS ­—The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce presents the return of Saratoga County Restaurant Week. This annual event will run from Wednesday, March 22 through Thursday, March 30.

The Chamber invites Saratoga County restaurants to participate for free in this popular event. Rather than set a fixed price menu with limited options, restaurants have the flexibility to set their own prices and menus (for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and/or takeout) for customers to experience and enjoy.

This year, the event will include a gift card sweepstakes where no less than three lucky winners will receive prize packages of ten $100 gift cards to restaurants throughout Saratoga County. Participants may enter the sweepstakes daily on the Chamber’s website, and winners will be selected and notified by email the first week of April.

The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce has been spearheading Saratoga County Restaurant Week for the last six years. 

For more information and a list of participating restaurants and menus, visit: https://bit.ly/3YNsoXR 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Join Impressions of Saratoga in celebrating the Impressions Pups’ Annual Birthday Pawty on Saturday, March 4 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year marks the ninth annual year of the Impressions Pups’ Pawty

Celebrate Smalls, Cookie, Smitty, Pupa and Thatcher’s birthdays with treats and fun for all. This year marks the ninth year of the Impressions Pups’ Pawty. 

The day is filled with celebrations and is a dog friendly event. Dogs must be well behaved, good with other dogs and must be leashed at all times. If your dog would rather stay home, you are welcome to stop in and grab a Pawty Pick Up Pack and bring the fun home to celebrate where your dog is more comfortable.

There will be Pup Scout activities, treat tastings, special deals on Dog products, coloring contests and a raffle for a great prize basket for one lucky pup and their person. 

Donations will be collected for local shelters; accepting new or gently used toys, collars, leashes, beds, blankets, or towels. They can also use dried and canned dog and cat food and treats. 

Impressions of Saratoga is located at 368 Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs. For more information contact the store at 518-587-0666 or go to www.impressionssaratoga.com.

BALLSTON SPA — While schools and educational programs are returning to normal, the Saratoga County History Center is expanding its staff and offering quality and interactive programs to kindergarten through grade 12 schools. The History Center continues its famous 40-year tradition of the Sheep to Shawl program, but has expanded its interactive experiences like Civil War Letters and Saratoga County Water Works.  

“Saratoga County’s students are the future. We are pleased to expand the funding for our educator who shines a light on our county’s local history, which we bring to the classroom,” said Field Horne, president of the Saratoga County History Center.

“We are thrilled to start 2023 with an active education program with local schools and organizations,” said Director of Education Anne Clothier. “In the past month, SCHC has already brought our Native New York program to public schools, home school families enjoyed our Brookside Digs Archeology Experience, and we took our textile history program to senior residences.  We look forward to sharing our county’s rich history through these presentations and hands-on activities throughout the year.”

To learn more about programs like the “Manners Matter Preschool Tea” and “Our Community Now & Then” for K-12 schools, visit www.BrooksideMuseum.org.