SARATOGA SPRINGS — Youth2: Youth Helping Youth is partnering with SNACpack for their first “Pop-UP” to light a beacon of hope in Saratoga Springs. 

The Pop-UP will provide warm socks and toothbrushes for children and teens ages 6-18. The drop off location is St. Clement’s Church Parking Lot, 231 Lake Ave, Saratoga Springs – look for the sign. The Pop-UP will continue, rain or shine, and will take place on Thursday, March 25, from 3-5 p.m. The drop off is completely COVID-safe – you don’t need to leave your car. 

In response to the necessities of the changing times, Youth2 hopes to create pop-ups that will provide the community in need with warm socks, toothbrushes, bus passes and more. Youth2 is reaching out to community organizations in and around Saratoga Springs who might want a Community Care Pop UP for their own. 

Youth2 is an organization based in Saratoga Springs (under the care of the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region) that consists of youth and adults coming together to work towards a brighter future in their community and beyond. 

SNACpack started six years ago to provide children living in food-insecure homes with meals to sustain them over weekends and throughout the summer. The program is currently helping 260 K-12 students in the Saratoga Springs School District, weekly. 

These Pop-UP events are hands-on ways to help our community. By caring for our community and having a sense of responsibility towards one another, we can all put our hands together and make an impact.

For more information on Youth2 or to donate visit www.cfgcr.org/secure-donations/youth2. 

For more on SNACpack or to donate visit snacpackprogram.com

SARATOGA SPRINGS — “I pledge my hands to larger service” is a phrase that all 4-H members are very familiar with. Saratoga County 4-H Teen Council has been putting these words into action through recent community service activities. 

At their February meeting, Teen Council members made fleece “tie blankets,” that were recently donated to local service organizations including Wellspring in Saratoga Springs, and the Veteran and Community Housing Coalition in Ballston Spa. In addition to making blankets, members also brought food and toiletry items to their meeting, and these items were donated to LifeWorks Community Action in Ballston Spa. 

Community Service opportunities such as these are just one way that Saratoga County 4-H is working to achieve its mission of “creating caring, competent and contributing members of society.” 

Saratoga County 4-H Youth Development is open to all youth in Saratoga County ages 5-18. Saratoga County 4-H offers a diverse range of programming opportunities that allow youth to “learn by doing.”  If you would like more information about Saratoga County 4-H you can visit their website at ccesaratoga.org/4-H, or call the CCE Saratoga office at 51-885-8995. 

UPSTATE NEW YORK — Follow the rainbow to your local Stewart’s Shops on Wednesday, March 17, and enjoy a single scoop ice cream cone for only 50¢ in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. This deal is available to all ages from open to close at any Stewart’s Shops location.

2021 Seasonal Ice Cream Flavor Spring Roll Out: Stewart’s Shops has announced their new seasonal ice cream flavors.

Marionberry Cookie: This marionberry ice cream has a blackberry base with a chocolate cookie crumb swirl and is available now.

Campfire S’Moreo: Available March 29. Toasted Marshmallow ice cream with a graham cracker swirl and Oreo® pieces.

Chocolate Sea Turtle: Available April 5. Chocolate ice cream with sea salt caramel swirl and chocolate fudge pecans.

Raspberry Cheesecake: Available April 12. Cheesecake ice cream with raspberry swirl and pie crust pieces.

Just Peachy: Available April 19. Peach ice cream with a honey swirl and peach pieces.

Piece of Cake: Available April 26. Butter cookie ice cream with a milk chocolate icing swirl and yellow cake pieces

Founded in 1945, Stewart’s Shops is an employee and family-owned convenience store chain based in Saratoga Springs. Stewart’s is known for offering milk, ice cream, coffee, easy food, gasoline, and other convenience items. Today there are over 345 Stewart’s Shops located in 31 counties across upstate New York and southern Vermont.

CAPITAL REGION — A month-long campaign to raise awareness and funds for Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month has been launched by way of a Cerebral Palsy walk event.

The event – announced by family-owned and operated Thomas Pest Services owners Bill Clark and Sarah Thomas-Clark – is the first event of its kind in the Capital Region specific to Cerebral Palsy.

The walk will be virtual, and supporters are asked to join the Thomas Walks for CP Facebook event page, and walk 3.25 miles throughout the month of March, in honor of March 25, which is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day. 

Anyone who wishes to donate may do so as well through the event page, with proceeds going to the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. Walkers are encouraged to wear green, take a selfie or a group picture, and post it on social media using the hashtags #ThomasWalks4CP and #GoGreen4CP

Thomas Pest Services will show support all month long with team members wearing green attire and donating 10% of sales from March 1-31 to the fundraiser.

The Clarks hold this cause near and dear to their hearts because of their young daughter Riley, who was diagnosed with right side spastic hemiplegia when she was 1-1/2 years old. While Riley has suffered impairment to her coordination and fine motor skills, Riley is a fighter, and has been attending weekly occupational and physical therapy to help with her condition.

To learn more about Riley’s story go to: thomaspestservices.com/cerebral-palsy-awareness.

Week One February 26 – March 4:
Photo by Al Marlin

Week Two March 5 – 11:
Photo by Craig Horneck

Week Three March 12 – 18:
Photo by Tina Marie DiVincenzo

Week Four March 19 – 25:
Photo by Thomas Auer

Week Five March 26 – April 2:
Photo by Susan Kimble

Contest runs for 5 weeks.

MIDDLE GROVE — Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York (GSNENY) congratulates RuthAnne Flint for becoming a Gold Award Girl Scout, a designation she earned by creating a waste disposal unit at the Galway Public Library for waste and recyclables.

The Gold Award is earned by a Girl Scout who works to address an issue she’s passionate about in a way that produces meaningful and lasting change. Whether it is on a local, national, or global level, Gold Award Girl Scouts provide innovative solutions to significant challenges.

The waste disposal unit is decorated with environmentally friendly literary characters to appeal to children and adults. Flint also started a program for children at the library to raise awareness about environmental issues and involve the community.

The Gold Award is earned by girls in grades 9–12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership in developing sustainable solutions to local, national, and global challenges. Since 1916, Girl Scouts have answered the call to drive lasting, impactful change.

Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York (GSNENY), established in June 2007 from the union of four Girl Scout Councils (Hudson Valley, Mohawk Pathways, Adirondack and North Country), represents almost 8,500 Girl Scouts in 15 counties including Albany, Clinton, Columbia, Greene, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Montgomery, Hamilton, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren and Washington. For more information, visit girlscoutsneny.org.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —The Northeast Woodworkers Association annual Showcase presentation, and the associated Totally Turning symposium normally held during the last weekend of March at the Saratoga Springs City Center has been cancelled again for the second year in a row, due to the ongoing carona virus pandemic.

Showcase, which has been an annual event for 27 years,   normally features hundreds of exhibits ranging from furniture to all other facets of woodworking, along with many vendors, and has attracted thousands of woodworking enthusiasts in the past.

Chairman Wally Carpenter said, “It is with great sadness that we must disappoint the thousands of woodworkers in the Capital District who attend our annual event, however, we are optimistically looking forward to bringing Showcase back next year.”

Assuming the pandemic will have subsided by then,  Showcase has been scheduled to be held at the City Center on the dates of March 26-27, 2022.  For further information, see www.woodworker.org.

MALTA — The Ballston Spa Softball Booster Club recently accepted a generous donation at the conclusion of a fundraiser held in conjunction with the opening of a new business in Malta. 

As part of the grand opening kickoff of the new Jersey Mike’s sub shop in Malta, the Ballston Spa Softball Booster Club was selected as the recipient of their local fundraising campaign.  Utilizing coupons provided by the shop, the club was able to raise $2,000 in just a few days. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Last week, area residents showed up in front of 65 and 69 Phila St. to support Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation’s “Heart Bomb Campaign,” which seeks to raise awareness about important places and the impact of preservation in Saratoga Springs.  The buildings, which were constructed in the mid-1850s are in poor condition and the DRC will review an application for their demolition. The Preservation, which has listed the buildings on its “Ten to Save” List, opposes the request for demolition.

BALLSTON SPA — The 2021 Ballston Spa Farmers’ Market, sponsored by the Ballston Spa Business and Professional Association (BSBPA), will run from June 12 through Sept. 30. The markets will be held on Thursdays from 3-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. and will have a new location on the grounds of the historic Brookside Museum, 6 Charlton St. in the village of Ballston Spa. 

The new location is an easy stroll from the market’s previous location in Wiswall Park, with more available parking as well as proximity to Old Iron Spring Park and the Thursday evening summer concerts.  The markets have been serving the local community since 2003. 

The market will be conducted in accordance with any continuing COVID-related guidelines that may still be in place, as directed by NYS Ag & Markets.  Vendors will be properly spaced. Like grocery stores, masks will be required for vendors and customers and social distancing will be implemented.  Hand sanitizer will be available for customers and vendors. Customers are encouraged to shop individually.

The market is now accepting vendors for the 2021 season.  New and returning vendors can apply online at www.ballston.org/category/farmers-market. Customer admission to the market is free.