SARATOGA SPRINGS — While Saratoga Springs has long been known as a tourism destination, it has not necessarily been due to the area’s cycling roads and trails. But a new event held by Bikeatoga and the Saratoga Regional YMCA is hoping to change that.

Bikeatoga and the YMCA are teaming up to host the first annual Saratoga Foliage Ride on Oct. 7 and 8. Three different routes are offered on each of the two days, at distances of 30, 50, and 75 miles.

Ed Lindner, advocacy chair of Bikeatoga, said that while the event is a fundraiser, it is also “an opportunity” to showcase the area’s cycling roads.

“Saratoga’s such a great draw in and of itself,” said Lindner. “People know the racetrack, they know SPAC, they know our award-winning downtown. But our cycling routes are a little bit of a secret, and so we hope to change that.”

Each day’s routes provide a unique experience for riders, beginning on Saturday, Oct. 7. Lindner noted this is the 246th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Saratoga, and said Saturday’s 50- and 75-mile routes will travel through the Saratoga National Historical Park, where a re-enactment will be taking place.

“So there will be re-enactors, Continentals and Redcoats, in the park firing off muskets and cannons as people ride through,” said Lindner.

A rest stop will be provided at the Saratoga Battle Monument on Saturday. Sunday’s routes will venture further east, including parts of the Empire State Trail and Champlain Canal Trail, with a rest stop to be provided at King Brothers Dairy in Schuylerville, said Lindner.

“That’s just a lot of really beautiful rolling hills, farmland,” Lindner said of the Sunday routes. He emphasized the rides are not races, with participants able to start and ride at their own pace.

Full SAG support will also be offered for riders. The Saratoga Foliage Ride will have volunteer support from the Saratoga Shredders Mountain Bike Club and members of local schools’ National Honor Societies. Sue Commanda, outgoing chair of the Saratoga YMCA and co-president of the Saratoga Cycling Club, added that the event is also seeking additional volunteers.

Commanda said the YMCA and Bikeatoga teaming up for the event was “a natural partnership.” She noted that the Saratoga Cycling Club also assisted with designing the routes for rides.

“The Y is all about healthy living, and very supportive of Saratoga events,” Commanda said. “Bikeatoga has beautiful programs as far as their bike programs, making sure everybody has a bike to ride. And the Y has a scholarship program that they’re supporting, because nobody’s turned away.”

Prior to the rides, which begin at the YMCA, a buffet breakfast catered by 9 Miles East will be offered at the Saratoga YMCA’s outdoor pavilion, Lindner said. Riders can sign up for $99 per day, or $149 for both days, according to the registration link. Participants will receive a day pass to the YMCA, as well as an event t-shirt. A jersey can also be purchased, which was designed by artist John Coleman of Glens Falls.

The Foliage Ride was inspired by a similar ride held in Staunton, Virginia, called the Shenandoah Fall Bike Festival, Lindner said. He noted the Saratoga Foliage Ride has seen registrations from states such as Maine, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and even as far as Florida.

“We really should be a cycling tourist destination,” said Lindner. “And we hope over the next couple of years to build this event into something like that.”

Proceeds raised by the event will support the YMCA’s financial assistance program, which provides scholarships for memberships and programs. Funds will also help support the Bikeatoga Workshop at St. Peter’s Church, which repairs donated bicycles and donates them back to members of the community.

Lindner said Bikeatoga donated more than 500 bikes to members of the community through the workshop last year. He said they are looking to have a successful inaugural event in hopes of growing the Saratoga Foliage Ride in future years.

“We love Saratoga. We really want to support the area in any way that we can,” Commanda added. “Bikeatoga does beautiful programs, and so does the Y, and they give back, which is wonderful … So seeing the event come together, but also sharing the beauty of Saratoga with other people from other states, is fun.”

More information on the Saratoga Foliage Ride is available at srymca.org/saratoga-foliage-ride.

GREENFIELD — Three Greenfield Elementary teachers, as members of the school’s Home School Association (HSA), have joined together to bring the Dragonfire 5K run/walk back to the school.

The Dragonfire 5K Run/Walk will take place Saturday, Oct. 14 at Greenfield Elementary School beginning at 8:30 a.m. Registration is open online at dragonfire5k.com.

More information can be found on the Saratoga Springs CSD website, saratogaschools.org.

SCHENECTADY — The Schenectady 2023 Walk to End Alzheimer’s is set to take place Sept. 30 at Mohawk Harbor, offering those affected by the disease a chance to come together, raising money and awareness.

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event dedicated to fighting Alzheimer’s, with walks taking place “around the globe,” said Marisa Korytko, marketing and public relations director of the Alzheimer’s Association Northeastern New York Chapter. 

The Northeastern New York chapter is hosting five walks in the region, beginning with the Schenectady walk on Sept. 30 at Mohawk Harbor. Other walks will be held Oct. 14 in Queensbury and Hudson, Oct. 21 in Albany, and Oct. 28 in Cooperstown, according to the Alzheimer’s Association website.

“It’s a way for the community to really come together,” said Korytko. “Our executive director always says that she thinks of it as the world’s largest support group, because you see people who are coming back time and time again, because they have formed these friendships with people who have gone through the same things that they have gone through.”

Mary Rose Petrozola, who is a volunteer on the Schenectady Walk to End Alzheimer’s Committee and a team captain of a walk team, said supporting the cause is something she has felt passionate about, “for a long time.”

“It’s one of more important things I feel like I can do,” Petrozola said. “It’s just a very important cause for me to be a part of. My grandfather, who the team is named in honor of, passed from complications of the disease. So it’s important for me to do whatever I can to be able to, again, raise awareness and further educate people the best I can.”

Her team, Alz Well EEG, formed in 2020 in honor of her grandfather, Edward Elmer Gordon. The team name is a nod to him, including his initials, E.E.G., and a reference to the William Shakespeare play, ‘All’s Well That Ends Well.’

Petrozola said she has perceived strong support from the community, noting that the disease’s reach is widespread.

“It’s always a surprise from year to year, how many people this touches,” said Petrozola. “Everybody basically has, or knows of, somebody that’s touched by this disease.”

Petrozola’s team showcases a great example of community support, having partnered with Schenectady restaurant Simone’s Kitchen to offer an ‘Alz Well’ bowl throughout the month of September, she said.

“Bashir (Chedwaree), who is one of their part-owners, he is making an Alz Well bowl,” Petrozola said. “The entire month of September, he will run that special bowl, and proceeds specifically from that bowl will go to benefit my walk team.”

Participants can register individually, or sign up with a group as a team. Registration or donations for the Schenectady walk can be done online at act.alz.org/schenectady23, or in-person on the day of the event. Information on all five area walks is available at act.alz.org/neny.

The walk begins at Mohawk Harbor and isw roughly one mile long, said Korytko. The event also includes a mini-walk of roughly one-tenth of a mile. Registration for the event begins at 10 a.m., at which time numerous sponsor tables will be set up with various resources.

The opening ceremony will begin at 11 a.m., with the walk itself immediately following. 

The Schenectady walk also includes a Promise Garden ceremony, where walkers carry different flower colors to signal their connection to Alzheimer’s. While Korytko said it can be, “heartbreaking,” to see the amount of purple flowers, signifying those who have lost someone to the disease, she added that one of the Alzheimer’s Association’s goals is to help find a cure.

“I think what we are trying to look for is the end to this disease, when there will be no more purple flowers,” Korytko said. “We’re looking to the time where there is that first survivor of this disease.”

While fundraising for participants is not required to join the walk, it is encouraged. The Schenectady walk has a fundraising goal of $150,000. Funds raised locally help the Northeastern New York chapter provide programs and services to families in the area going through Alzheimer’s, said Korytko, and also help the Alzheimer’s Association to fund research.

Korytko emphasized that strong steps in research have been taken over recent years, providing what she called, “a layer of hope,” to the Walks. 

“We still need to keep fighting, and we still need to keep investing in research,” said Korytko. “But I feel like there is a lot more hope, because of some of the progress and the research that we’ve made in the past few years.”

She said it is rewarding to see the impact of the Walks, noting the disease has an extensive reach.

“When you’re on the stage, and you look out and you see people holding their flowers, it just makes you realize how pervasive this disease is, and how it impacts so many of the members of our community,” Korytko said. “It’s a very rewarding experience, because I know these people are getting support, and that they’re feeling like they’re not alone. … I think that the more that we see that other people are in our situation and are in our shoes, the more we feel like we can ask for help.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS —The Wesley Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Wesley Community, will be holding its sixth annual “Share A Step” virtual fundraiser beginning Friday Sept. 22 through Thursday, Sept. 28.

The weeklong fitness initiative offers participants the opportunity to raise funds for The Wesley Community’s Life Enrichment Program, which provides social and therapeutic activities tailored to each Wesley resident.

Competitors of all ages and fitness levels are invited and encouraged to work toward a fitness goal, such as running or walking one mile per day, completing a bike ride around the neighborhood, a run on the treadmill or virtually traveling the distance of a popular local trail.

Participants are asked to track and log their progress, take pictures of each exercise and tag it on Facebook and Instagram with #shareastep to show their progress and motivate others to stay the course.

“The Wesley Community is thrilled to once again kick off “Share A Step,” which is not only a much-needed fundraiser to support the health and well-being of our residents, but also a great way for people to stay active,” said The Wesley Community CEO J. Brian Nealon in a press release. “We encourage individuals and teams of all ages and fitness levels, locally and nationwide, to participate.”

 This year, “Share A Step” donations will support the Life Enrichment program at Wesley Health Care Center. The initiative provides an array of services focused on improving quality of life and well-being of residents. This is achieved through customized programs that pursue the interests and passions of each individual, while guiding them through such challenges of life as intellectual and physical disabilities.

 There are several ways for the local community to join in: By registering as a participant; by registering as a team, friends or colleagues, and challenging other teams; by becoming a sponsor or making a personal monetary donation.

To learn more, visit: p2p.onecause.com/shareastep.

CALGARY, Alberta — Seven athletes from the Jason Morris Judo Center in Glenville have qualified to compete for the USA Team in Calgary, Alberta, Canada from Sept. 15-16.

The Pan Ams are significant due to the fact an athlete can earn valuable points on the world rankings toward qualifying for the Paris Olympics.

Hannah Martin will be making her seventh appearance at the Pan Ams at 63 kg, with her best result being a bronze medal in 2013, 2017, and 2019. Nicole Stout will be competing in her fifth Pan Ams at 78 kg. 

Nate Keeve is heading to his fourth Pan Ams at 100 kg, with his best result being a bronze medal in 2021. Ari Berliner is competing for the third time, taking bronze at 66 kg in 2022. Kell Berliner, Alex Knauf, and Melissa Myers all will be making their Pan Am debut in Calgary. 

The Jason Morris Judo Center has now placed at least one athlete on the Pan Am team for 20 straight years. The JMJC has placed four athletes on the team seven different times and had three athletes on the team five times. Ari Berliner, Keeve, Knauf & Martin also represent the New York Athletic Club. Four-time Olympian and JMJC owner Jason Morris will accompany the group to Calgary to coach them.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —After kicking off a successful inaugural half-season in January, Saratoga Springs-based C3 Hip-Hop Dance Co. is preparing to begin its first full season this September, offering kids a chance to connect and perform in the local community.

C3 was founded by Julie Labate, a Miami native who grew up dancing with a variety of teams in the local area.

After moving to Saratoga Springs, Labate started C3 with the hopes of establishing a program of her own. C3’s initial half-season began in January, with Labate saying the first months “went great.” She said there were 36 kids and three different teams participating in total.

“It was really neat watching everything come to life,” Labate said.

The teams performed in the local community several times throughout the year, including performances in the auditorium at the Saratoga Springs Public Library, at The Adirondack Trust Company Festival of Young Artists at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and at the Saratoga Race Course.

“I like to give them performance opportunities, because I think it brings out that next-level feeling, that out of body, larger than life, on-stage feeling,” Labate said.

C3 also held a year-end recital at The Night Owl, which Labate described as “a big outdoor celebration.”

“The kids performed, but the parents stuck around after,” said Labate. “I wanted it to be the community coming together to celebrate an awesome first season, as opposed to just having them up on stage, watching them, and departing.”

Labate said the company is looking forward to beginning its first full season this September. C3 will host tryouts on Sept. 10, with the season set to begin on Sept. 17.

She noted the first half of the season will be focused on training and skill-building, while the second half of the season will be focused on performance routines.

“This full season, we have so much time to really dig in, and actually get the kids trained and have time for team bonding, have time for get-togethers,” said Labate. “It’s just an even greater opportunity for the connections that the kids are already making, to really dig into them.”

C3 is also expecting to grow this fall, with Labate saying she is expecting to “more than double in size.” She said they will offer two teams at both the peewee and junior level in addition to a “mini-team” for ages three and up, as well as the possibility of both an intermediate team and an advanced team, depending on the number of kids who try out.

“So, I have kids of the same age practicing on both Sundays and other kids of the same age on Mondays,” Labate said. “They have more flexibility with what works best for their family and their scheduling.”

Signups are available at c3hiphopdance.com. Labate emphasized that C3 will continue to perform around the local community, saying they are set to return to the Festival of Young Artists next summer, and noting that the intermediate team and the potential advanced team would plan to begin competition this season.

“Kids who want to do anything above the novice level need to attend a tryout,” said Labate. “When they try out, they get placed onto whatever skill level they’re ready for.”

Labate said it is meaningful to see the impact on the kids, noting many of them have become friends and “found their home” at C3.

“A lot of parents told me that a lot of these kids were still trying to find what activity worked for them. Then they found hip-hop, and it’s like they found their thing,” she said. “It’s a larger than life, surreal feeling to watch kids be that connected to it.”

And while she noted the company is expecting to grow significantly this season, Labate emphasized her goal of maintaining a personal connection with every kid.

“I just want it to be a sustainable homebase for people,” said Labate. “I think that the kids are starting to feel that, and I’m starting to feel that as well, because of the way that it’s impacting families.”