SARATOGA SPRINGS — The 1st Annual Livestrong Golf Scramble was a success this past weekend, with over 80 golfers participating in the tournament and approximately 60 dinner guests. 

The tournament and dinner which took place on Friday, Oct. 15 at the Saratoga Lake Golf Club benefitted the Saratoga Regional YMCA’s LIVESTRONG program – a 12-week training program for cancer survivors with certified personal trainers. 

Kelli Prestigiacomo, a cancer survivor and LIVESTRONG program graduate, and her husband Andy chaired the golf event. Shannon VanHall, a LIVESTRONG coach, and Rilla Schulte, a past participant, chaired the dinner event. 

To hear more about Kelli’s story and the LIVESTRONG at the YMCA program, head over to the Saratoga Regional YMCA’s YouTube Channel and watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kKKdoZyX4g. Or contact the Saratoga Regional YMCA Developmental Office at 518-583-9622 ext. 138, email shannon.vanhall@srymca.org. 

Week One: October 15-21:
“Lake Desolation”
Photo by Catherine Carr

Week Two: October 22-28:
“Saratoga Apple, 10.17.21”
Photo by Tina Marie DeVincenzo

Week Three: October 29-November 4:
“Mushrooms”
Photo by Bernie Fabry

Week Four: November 5 – November 11:
“Hudson River Blues”
Photo by Sheri Welch

Week Five: November 12 – November 18:
Photo by Sue Clark 

Contest is closed.

SARATOGA — Women who provide the primary source of financial support for their families are encouraged to apply for the Soroptimist “Live Your Dream” Award. 

Soroptimist International of Saratoga County, an international volunteer organization for business and professional women, is offering grants up to $5,000 to be used for expenses related to education. In addition to being the primary wage earner, applicants must: Demonstrate financial need; Be accepted or enrolled in an undergraduate or vocational skills training program; Be a resident of any of the locations where there is a Soroptimist Club, and Not have previously been a recipient of this award.

If you meet these criteria and wish to apply for this grant, go to www.soroptimistsaratoga.org. Under “Awards” select “Live Your Dream.” This will take you to the on-line application. Applications must be completed by Nov. 15. Soroptimist members and their immediate family are ineligible.

The Saratoga County Chapter provides grants up to $5,000 per award winner. Our first-place award recipient is also eligible for additional monetary awards at the regional and international Soroptimist levels. These funds can be used for tuition, books, childcare, transportation expense or any other education-related expense.

For individual assistance with the application process, contact the Saratoga County Soroptimist Club by e-mailing liveyourdreamsaratoga@gmail.com to request a mentor.

Soroptimist International of Saratoga County is part of an international women’s organization with 72,000 members in 121 countries and territories. For more information, visit our website at www.soroptimistsaratoga.org or the international website at www.soroptimist.org 

GLENS FALLS — Nearly $10,000 was raised to benefit the newly-established Edward M. Bartholomew, Jr. Memorial Fund following a disc golf tournament Sept. 17 at Crandall Park.

The event was staged by EDC Warren County and the family of Edward Bartholomew, and the fund will benefit internships at Warren County nonprofits and small businesses.

The winners of the tournament for the men’s and women’s divisions were Tyler Calazada (shot a 44) and Karly Daly (shot a 58). Par for this course is 55. Calazada said, “this is my personal best at this course.”

The Edward M. Bartholomew, Jr. Memorial Fund, informally called “The Ed,” was established in 2021 by EDC Warren County and the Bartholomew family to honor the EDC’s former President and Glens Falls’ former Mayor, carrying forth his legacy of dedication to public service, his passion for the community, and his enthusiasm for economic development by investing in the next generation of leadership. 

The Ed provides funding for paid internships for students, veterans and people with differing abilities at Warren County nonprofits and small businesses, matching interns with internship locations twice yearly. 

The fund is held under the umbrella of the Glens Falls Foundation, overseen by EDC Warren County and the Bartholomew family along with an independent appointee from the community.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A ceremony honoring the Veteran of the Year for 2020-2021 will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, in the public room of the New York State Military Museum at 61 Lake Ave. in Saratoga Springs.

The annual award is co-sponsored by the Friends of the New York State Military Museum and the Capital District of New York Chapter of the Association of the United States Army.

There was no Veteran of the Year ceremony in 2020 because of the COVID pandemic. The museum was closed throughout 2020 but reopened earlier this year. The 2020 and 2021 ceremonies are being combined this year.

Presidents of the two co-sponsor organizations will present the award. A proclamation by the congressman of the Veteran of the Year will be read and remarks by the Adjutant General of the State of New York will be given. Refreshments are being donated by Dunkin’ Donuts. The event is free and open to the public. Face masks are required.

The area’s premiere new home tour, the 2021 Saratoga Showcase of Homes is celebrating its Silver Anniversary and opens this weekend October 9-10-11 and will continue October 16-17.  This year’s edition has 13 locations from 12 of our area’s finest builders on display in Saratoga County.

Saratoga Showcase of Homes tickets are $25 each in celebration of the event’s Silver Anniversary, which allows you to visit all of these beautiful new homes over five days. Tickets are available at all Adirondack Trust branches, Saratoga National Bank on South Broadway in Saratoga Springs, Curtis Lumber in Ballston Spa and Roohan Realty in Saratoga Springs. Tickets are also available at any showcase home during tour hours of 10 a.m.-5 p.m. or can be purchased at saratogashowcaseofhomes.com. Once again this year, each showcase ticket holder will receive a free commemorative shoe/tote bag at the first home visited. 

Participating award-winning builders this year are: BDC Group, Beechwood Homes, Bella Home Builders, Belmonte Builders, Bonacio Construction, Caruso Builders, Kodiak Construction, Kohler Homes, McPadden Builders, R & M Homes, Trojanski Builders and Witt Construction. To view an interactive mobile map with locations, directions and much more, please visit saratogashowcaseofhomes.com.

Now celebrating its 25th year, this annual community event has contributed over $1.3 MILLION dollars to local charities Rebuilding Together Saratoga County (www.rtsaratoga.org) and Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties (www.glensfallshabitat.org). 

For more details on the 2021 Saratoga Showcase of Homes event, please visit saratogashowcaseofhomes.com or pick up an edition of Simply Saratoga: Fall 2021. Follow the Saratoga Showcase of Homes on Facebook for all the updates on this year’s event!

About Saratoga Builders Association

The Saratoga Builders Association, Inc. (SBA) is a specialized professional trade association representing an industry basic to the wellbeing and economy of the people of Saratoga County. Its membership includes residential and commercial builders, developers, remodelers, building material suppliers, sub-contractors, financial institutions, architects, engineers, realtors, attorneys and other industry professionals. SBA is committed to the continued growth, prosperity and quality of life in Saratoga County. For more information, please visit their website at www.saratogabuilders.org or contact Barry Potoker, Executive Director at 518.366.0946 or bpotoker@saratogabuilders.org

SARATOGA SPRINGS — After a traumatic experience navigating her son’s medical diagnosis, local mom Christine Hernandez identified a lack of access to mental health support services for children and families. “All I wanted to do was find my son the support he needed, and what I found over and over again was long waitlists or unaffordable fees. The lack of truly accessible mental health support for children and families (and people in general) is  pretty staggering,” Hernandez explained.

Allo Saratoga will function as a playspace and community space and host support groups, workshops, and classes for children and parents at any stage. “Whether you’re trying to   conceive or your kids are grown with kids of their own, we want Allo to be a place where you can find your people,” Hernandez explained of the space, located off Church Street in Saratoga Springs slated to open Mid-November of 2021.”

After a career in early childhood and working with birthing families as a doula, creating a space for families to come together to play, learn and find nonjudgmental support was always the plan for Hernandez. “Covid really gave me the motivation to make this dream a reality because parents are burned-out and craving connection. We all need a safe space to learn how to cope and move forward from the last year and a half.”

“We plan to adapt to meet the needs of the community as far as what workshops and classes we offer- but it’s critical that what we offer is accessible to anyone who needs it,” said Hernandez. Allo plans to offer a number of its mental health-focused support groups and services for free, drawing on funds from the playspace and paid programs to help offset the costs.

The whole family has been in on preparing the space, from toy-testing to helping with paint colors. You can follow along with their progress on Allo’s instagram @allosaratoga and sign up to receive updates on their website www.allotoga.com 

SARATOGA SPRINGS  — The local non-profit, Sustainable Saratoga, will hold their 5th annual Saratoga Recycles Day from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2, in the SPAC overflow parking lot on the west side of Route 50. The cost is $5 per vehicle, plus an additional $30 per TV or computer monitor (limit of four TVs per vehicle). 

Accepted items include: clothing & textiles (any condition), small appliances & electronics (including TVs), scrap metal, eyeglasses, hearing aids, adult bikes, 20 & 24-inch mountain bikes, musical instruments, backpacks, cell phones with chargers, garden tools and more. 

This year, Sustainable Saratoga is collecting donated items for a number of local nonprofits, including Backstretch Employees Service Team (B.E.S.T.), Bikeatoga, Domestic Violence Project of Warren & Washington Counties, Pitney Meadows Community Farm, Saratoga Shredders, the Saratoga Springs Lions Club, We Are Instrumental, and Wellspring. In addition to the non-profits, American Clothing Company will collect clothing and textiles for reuse; eLots Electronics Recycling will collect and recycle electronics; and Planit Waste, Recycling & Salvage will collect and recycle metal.

There are COVID-related safety protocols in place again this year – masks are required; exact change is requested to minimize the handling of money; donation items should be organized by drop-off station to reduce physical contact; and participants should remain in their vehicles at all times.

For additional details about what is being collected, a map of the collection stations, and COVID-related safety protocols, visit www.sustainablesaratoga.org/projects/zero-waste/recycles-day 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Over two dozen Loughberry Road residents armed with rakes, weed whackers, pruners, and chainsaws spent a recent Saturday morning improving the appearance of the entrance to their street. In addition to trimming the various plantings, piles of invasive vines were removed along the 600 ft. Route 50 arterial fence line and shrubbery. The City Department of Public Works cooperated in the project by removing a truckload of the debris. 

BALLSTON SPA — Ballston Spa National Bank (BSNB), in cooperation with the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, is hosting its 16th contactless drive-thru food pantry on Tuesday, Sept. 28 beginning at 9 a.m. The event, which will be held at the Bank’s corporate offices located at 990 State Route 67 in Ballston Spa, is open to area families and individuals in need of food assistance. Patrons will receive food on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last.

Thanks to the Regional Food Bank, an anticipated 18,000 pounds of food will be distributed by BSNB volunteers at the event. Items to be distributed include fresh produce, dairy, frozen meats and non-perishable food items. 

Since the spring of 2020, food pantries hosted by BSNB have distributed 270,000 pounds of food and benefitted nearly 14,000 people within Albany and Saratoga counties. 

In addition to volunteer support, a series of matching campaigns initiated by the bank have already generated donations from community members totaling $34,000. Coupled with $75,000 in support from BSNB, the Regional Food Bank has received more than $109,000 to date to help those challenged with food insecurity in the region.