Article Courtesy of the Business Review

Now beginning its fourth year, Mentoring Matters provides critical funding and volunteer support for mentoring efforts conducted by non-profit organizations throughout Upstate New York.

For the 2010 edition, First Niagara has introduced the student mentoring essay contest, which is open to sixth grade students who are involved in mentoring programs and enrolled in schools in the counties where First Niagara serves throughout Western, Rochester, Central and Eastern New York.

Student essay contest winners will receive $5,000 for their school, a $500 savings bond for themselves, and a starring role on a national First Niagara television advertisement along with other great prizes. Interested students can visit www.fnfg.com to begin the essay contest process. The deadline for student essay submissions is October 1, 2010.

Celebrating its fourth year, Mentoring Matters will also top the $2 million total grant mark in 2010, positively impacting more than 13,000 youth through more than 150 organized mentoring programs in Upstate New York.

The 2010 program will provide $500,000 to eligible not-for-profits throughout Upstate New York. The maximum grant awarded is $25,000. The minimum grant awarded is $5,000. Interested organizations can visit www.fnfg.com to begin the grant application process. The deadline for not-for-profit grant submissions is October 1, 2010.

Come support Baptist Health System at their 4th Annual Golf Tournament on September 23rd at Mohawk River Country Club & Chateau. The money fundraised for this event goes to support Baptist Health Foundation which provides Annual Scholarship Awards in Healthcare and funds a wide variety of programs that better serve the quality of residents and their families. Download registration brochure here.

Chamber Members have the opportunity to put promotional items in the 100 Golfer Goodie Bags. Please drop off any items to Baptist Health Care 297 N. Ballston Avenue, Scotia by 9/10/10. Or call Ruth Tietz at 370-4700 for more information.

Pitney Bowes Business Insight has awarded a grant for $1,000 to the Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium’s Powering the Future: The STEM Fund, which provides funds in the form of scholarships and transportation assistance for underserved youth whose lack of resources would otherwise prevent participation.

Through the Museum’s Powering the Future: The STEM Fund, qualified school, youth, and community groups are awarded scholarships which subsidize admission fees, program fees, and transportation costs. During the 2009-10 school year, 1,781 students received admission or transportation subsidies through Powering the Future: The STEM Fund.

The best way to survive a disaster, be it natural or man-made, is to be prepared.  That means make a plan, have a kit and be informed.  Often teaching this to the community, from children to seniors, is somewhat dry.  Red Nose Response responders have taken that class and made it memorable by having a straight man and a comical character act it out. The presentation was developed with the support and assistance of the Red Cross.

The presenters for this training program on Sept 29 at the Public Safety Bldg. 5 Municipal Plaza, Clifton Park from 6:30 - 8 PM are Barbara “Sparky” Bird of Clifton Park and Paul “FuddiDuddy” Kleinberger of Loudonville who have been Red Nose Responders since its inception following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita five years ago.  Paul is currently the organization president and Barb is vice president. They are also local performing clowns.

Contact Barbara A. McHugh (518) 371-6651  ext 230 to register.

Beth Grzyboski, Licensed Real Estate Sales Associate, Prudential Manor Homes, Realtors is offering a Workshop titled, Create Appeal . . . then Seal the Deal! Preparing your Home for Sale Quickly and Cheaply on September 16th from 7 - 8 PM at the Shenendehowa Adult Community Center, 6 Clifton Common Court, Clifton Park.  Unsure of what today’s home buyers are looking for? Explore creative, inexpensive ways to update your home for today’s home buyers. Learn what makes a home appealing, easy to sell, and marketable. From the exterior to the interior – everything matters! You’ll learn that with a little ingenuity, common sense, and elbow grease you can increase the marketability of your home and its value.  There is no cost to attend. Refreshments will be served, along with a houseful of hints and coupons to help you along your way.

 Register by calling 371-8040.

By Eileen Reardon, Executive Director, American Red Cross, Adirondack Saratoga Chapter

Many people know the Red Cross for its disaster relief work or blood donations, but helping people be prepared for emergencies is another important part of our work.

The Red Cross is practicing what it preaches on preparedness, as we are working to be better ready to respond to disasters of all sizes—down the street here throughout the greater Saratoga and North Country region, across the country and around the world.

With a severe hurricane season predicted, the Red Cross is making a fundraising push now, asking for contributions that support our readiness for the 70,000 disasters the Red Cross responds to every year, whether they are hurricanes that affect millions of people here or abroad, floods that affect thousands, or a house fire that drives one family from its home.

While the news media has focused its attention over the past several months on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and on Haiti, it’s important to know that the American Red Cross has responded to 29 significant disasters in the U.S. so far in 2010. These have included floods in Tennessee, North Dakota, the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, tornadoes in the South and Midwest, and major fires in communities across the country.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts between 4 to 6 major hurricanes this year. Major hurricanes are those Category 3, 4, and 5 storms that do the most damage—such as Hurricanes Andrew, Katrina, Rita and Wilma—with winds in excess of 100 miles per hour. More than 35 million people live in regions vulnerable to Atlantic hurricanes, and many in the Gulf Coast region are already experiencing hardship as a result of the oil spill.

While media and public attention comes when a hurricane makes landfall, what’s often missed are the preparations made by the Red Cross to be ready to respond well before the hurricane hits. For example, the Red Cross already has pre-positioned equipment and materials near areas that could be hit by hurricanes. In addition, the Red Cross frequently moves supplies and people closer to an area threatened by a hurricane so they can be ready to respond quickly.

These preparations cost money. For example, as Hurricane Alex gathered strength in late June and threatened the Gulf coast, the Red Cross deployed 133 people, 17 emergency response vehicles and kitchen equipment to south Texas and put other vehicles and crews on stand-by.

And these disaster preparations are on top of the other floods, tornadoes and fires that the Red Cross is already responding to on a nearly daily basis.

The Red Cross spends about $450 million a year responding to nearly 70,000 disasters across the country – floods, wildfires, tornados and home fires.

No other non-governmental organization can respond to disasters on the size and scale of the Red Cross—but the Red Cross depends on donations from the American public to be ready. And we work hard to be excellent stewards of those donor dollars.

That’s why the Adirondack Saratoga Chapter and other Red Cross chapters across the country are asking for help for disaster relief, and we hope that people will respond. They can click, text or call to donate to the Red Cross to help people affected by disasters like hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, fires and earthquakes, as well as countless crises at home and around the world.

People who want to make a contribution can visit www.redcross.org, call 1-800-RedCross to support American Red Cross Disaster Response, or text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Every single donation brings hope to those in need.

Want to write a personal essay or memoir about your life?  Your difficult childhood or perhaps your heritage, with memories of aunts, uncles, grandparents, and on and on and on?  What do you do with all these memories?  How can you possibly put them on the page?  Where do you start and how do you move forward?

 This workshop is being held at East Line Books on Wednesdays, Sept. 15, 22, 29 & Oct. 6, 13,& 20 from 10 AM - Noon and will focus on how to get you started, how to put your own story on the page.  It will help you approach stories in your head that are so big, they seem impossible to write down.  Robyn will teach you the skills you need to make your stories smaller and  more approachable.  She will help you move forward in your writing with skills that will help you approach any topic. This is an invaluable and many have said "life-changing" class.

Cost:  $125

Also being offered at East Line Books is How to Write the Short Story: A 6-Week Course on September 16th - October 21st from 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon. In this class, we will have fun using our imaginations while covering the craft elements of fiction including character, plot, point of view, description, dialogue, setting, pacing, voice, and theme.  Our goal will be to write a short story, learning invaluable skills and strategies along the way.  This is an introductory class which can accomodate both those who are new to writing and those who have already written fiction. You will also learn how and where to market your work.

Dr. Gainor is in practice with Orthopaedic Associates of Saratoga with offices in Saratoga and Malta. He completed a fellowship at Anderson Orthopaedic Research Institute in Virginia and a residency at Albany Medical Center.  He received his medical degree from Albany Medical College as well as a Master of Science degree in Physiology from Albany Medical College.

For more information or for a referral to this doctor, please call HealthSource at 580-2450 or 1-866-580-2450 (toll free).

Make It Fit, LLC Fall Classes Starting September 13^th at the Shen Adult Community Center include Boot Camp Challenge, Yoga For Fitness, and Zumba. Visit www.makeitfittraining.com for more information.

 For six years running, Platanos & Collard Greens has had audiences falling out of their seats laughing and standing up and cheering at this hilarious romantic tale. The story of two college students, strangers from different cultures who fall in love at first sight… until Mom finds out.Platanos is a thought provoking romantic comedy that addresses stereotypes, prejudices and urban myths within the context of hip-hop, humor and satire. Platanos will remind you of your family, your loves and your life and is guaranteed to make you laugh and inspire you!

Coming to the Palace on September 23 at 8 PM. Tickets are $25 Adults & $15 for Students w/ ID. Palace Theatre Passport Members can purchase tickets by calling the Box Office at 465-4663. All other customers can purchase tickets at the Palace Theatre Box Office located at 19 Clinton Avenue just on the side of the Theatre, by calling Ticketmaster-Charge-By-Phone at 800-745-3000, visiting any Ticketmaster outlet location or www.ticketmaster.com.

Vendors are needed for the fourth annual “Ladies Night Out” event to be held at the beautifully restored Historic Grooms Tavern on Friday, Nov. 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. 

The town is looking for individuals who would normally hold house parties to demonstrate and showcase their products.  This will be a wonderful opportunity for local residents to start their holiday shopping.

Space is limited. As an historic building, the tavern has several small rooms that will be utilized in this event.  Set-up space will be limited, ranging from 5 feet-by-10 feet to 7 feet-by-12 feet. 

One table with linens and two chairs will be provided for each vendor. Vendors are asked to pay a $40 fee for set-up and marketing expenses. 

Vendor forms are now available online at www.cliftonpark.org and at the Office of Parks, Recreation & Community Affairs located in Town Hall. Confirmation letters will be mailed out to all vendors by September 24.  All participating vendors are asked to donate one item or “hostess gift” to be given out as a door prize.

Ladies Night Out is sponsored by the town’s Office of Parks, Recreation and Community Affairs. For information, call 371-6667 or visit the website, www.cliftonpark.org.

Several Chamber members will be honored on October 14th as CFO of the Year by the Business Review. 

Ed Keis of DeCrescente Distributing Co., Inc and John Endres of the Golub Corp. were awarded in the Large Private Company category.

David DeLuca of Pioneer Bank was awarded in the Media Private Company category.

Richard T. Marini of Northeast Parent & Child Society Inc. was award in the Nonprofit category. 

To register for the event.

Clifton Park Town Hall is a drop-off location for the “Books for Troops” program, an effort by local volunteers to collect donations of paperback, comic and puzzle books to send to members of the military who are serving overseas.

Many combat troops are on the move most of the day. Lightweight and portable reading material provides an escape and small respite from their daily duties. The program sponsored by Operation Adopt A Solider and is being coordinated by Books for Troops manager Ellen Keegan.

The collection box will remain in the front lobby of town hall near the reception desk from now until the end of the year. Keegan reminds donors that all reading materials with photographs and drawings should be acceptable to the host country’s cultural values.

Books for Troops and Operation Adopt A Soldier continuously accept cash donations to mail care packages to those serving overseas. For more information on Books for Troops, call Keegan at 373-4939. Checks can be mailed to Operation Adopt A Soldier Inc, 4281 Route 50, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.

Article courtesy of The Community News

Pepsi Beverages Company and Price Chopper Supermarkets are teaming up to help consumers “Make a Change Closer to Home." The companies are donating a total of $30,000 to be awarded to local organizations who want to make a difference in their communities.

On Aug. 26, residents of participating states in which Price Chopper has stores may submit an idea as to how they would spend $2,000 to improve their neighborhoods. Applicants, who meet the eligibility requirements, can submit their ideas at www.pricechopper.refresheverything.com through September 28.

The first 300 ideas received will be reviewed by Price Chopper’s Golub Foundation. The top 15 ideas will be awarded a $2,000 grant to bring their ideas to life. Grant winners will be announced October 26 on the www.pricechopper.refresheverything.com website. Applicants and customers are encouraged to spread the word and submit an idea to make a difference in their communities.

Entries will be assigned a score based on the following judging criteria:

• Execution: 25 percent based on the viability as an executable idea (as opposed to constituting a donation);

• Impact: 25 percent based on the impact/reach execution of the idea will have on the local community; and

• Concept: 20 percent based on the idea’s benefit to the local community;

• Timing: 10 percent based on the ability to completely execute the idea within six (6) months;

• Cost: 10 percent based on the ability to execute the idea within the requested budget;

• Inspiration: 10 percent based on inspiration of the idea.

Price Chopper has stores in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachussets, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

Article courtesy of The Community News

A Rexford-based charity striving to find a cure for a debilitating and incurable disease is close to winning a $250,000 grant from the Pepsi company. If successful the grant will aid research for a cure.

Contest winners are chosen based on the number of votes each “idea” receives from the public. The charity Hannah’s Hope Fund is one of the ideas. The two top finishers will get $250,000 each. Officers with the Rexford charity are hoping southern Saratoga County residents will take notice and start voting for the local “idea” before the contest ends Aug. 31.

Lori and Matt Sames established the 5013C charity Hannah’s Hope Fund two-and-a-half years ago to fund research on a cure for Giant Axonal Neuropathy or GAN. The neurodegenerative disease is affecting their daughter Hannah, 6. If no cure is found for the condition Hannah’s ability to walk and swallow will worsen forcing her into a wheelchair and shortening her life dramatically.

There are 1,223 ideas competing for votes in the most recent version of the Pepsi contest. The local charity was listed at No. 4 as of Tuesday. Pepsi’s Refresh Project contest has a number of smaller prizes but the Sames have chosen to reach for the top prize of $250,000.

This is not the first time Hannah’s Hope Fund has reached out for a large grant. In the spring the Fund received a matching $500,000 grant from Doris Buffet’s Sunshine Lady Foundation. Buffet is the sister of well known financier and investor Warren Buffet.

If Hannah’s Hope Fund wins one of the top two prizes in the Pepsi contest the funds will go toward medical studies required to be completed by the Federal Drug Administration before approval can be given for clinical trials.

“We’re in a race against time,” Hannah’s father Matt Sames said Tuesday. “We’ve been fundraising continuously with golf tournaments, auctions, sales, dances you name it for over two years. We need some breaks here.”

Since establishing Hannah’s Hope Fund the charity’s efforts have raised $2.2 million for research on GAN. The doctors involved in the research on the medical condition are close to receiving FDA approval but need to complete efficacy studies and toxicology studies.

If the Fund wins the contest prize $200,00 of the grant money will go toward the toxicology studies, $25,000 will to go toward providing a doctor to assist the studies, and another $25,000 will be used to fine tune the surgical protocol for the planned clinical trials.

“It’s a fairly well known contest,” Sames said. “Pepsi did this (funding new ideas) instead of buying Superbowl ads this year. Because the studies are critical to the trials we went for the top prize rather than the smaller ones that are offered.”

If the studies on GAN are accepted and doctors get approval for clinical trials Hannah Sames will be part of the first trials offered in the fall of 2011 along with nine or 10 others. The Rexford charity started out listed at No. 450 on the list of ideas submitted. The fund has moved up quickly in the rankings thanks to the efforts of the Fund’s officers and the number of people who have voted. A maximum of three votes per day is allowed to each voter.

“If we’re successful in this contest this research could help those suffering from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) and Spinal Muscular Atrophy,” Sames said. “We know the outcome if we don’t do anything. Together we can do this.”

More information on GAN or the Sames family can be viewed at the Hannah’s Hope Fund Website, www.hannahshopefund.org.

To vote for Hannah’s Hope Fund in the Pepsi contest using the Internet go to www.refresheverything.com/hannahshopefund.

To learn all the ways of casting a vote in the contest and to view all the ideas in the contest go to www.refresh|everything.com.

• The Foundation will begin accepting applications on September 7^th 
• The Deadline for applications is October 19^th         
• The Foundation Board will act on applications by November 4^th
• Applicants will be notified of  the Board action by November 16^th 

The officers for the Saratoga Gaming and Raceway Foundation for 2010 are as follows:

• Supervisor Matthew E. Veitch-Saratoga Springs, Chairman
• Mayor Scott T. Johnson-Saratoga Springs, Vice-Chairman
• Supervisor Bill Peck-Northumberland and Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Secretary
• George ‘Skip’ Carlson-Saratoga Gaming and Raceway, Treasurer
• Barry Segel, At-Large Member and President-Saratoga Harness Horseperson’s Association

Article courtesy of The Business Review

The Scotia-Glenville Children's Museum is offering four new programs for the 2010-2011 year.  

Fraction Fun! - introduces students in grades K-3 to basic fractions, and allows them to see how they are a part of their daily life through a PowerPoint demonstration and hands-on activities. Support for development of this program is provided by a grant from the Equinox Foundation.

 Beaver Hats and Wooden Shoes:  The Story of New Netherland - explores how the Dutch principles of freedom and equality guided the early settlers of New York and helped set the course of the American nation.  Using illustrations, artifacts, and activities, this program explores the communities of the Dutch colony, everyday life in New York in the 1600s, and the significance of Dutch culture to our country, our state, and our local area. Support for development of this program is provided by a grant from the Equinox Foundation. 

Shenendehowa Adult Community Center Hosting 2010 Community Fair on August 28th at Clifton Commons from 9 AM - 6 PM. 

Enjoy a great Day for the Entire Family at the Summer Community Fair – FREE ADMISSION. Activities for the entire family include , bounce house, dunking booth, Greyhound Adoption Clinic, face painters, clowns, Popcorn Express, Mr. Ding-A-Ling ice cream, craft demonstrations and more! Local public service organizations, such as the The Chamber of Southern Saratoga County, Clifton Park Library, local fire houses, CERTS program and Kevin Richards from WGNA will be present with Country Dancing. Live estate auction to begin at 10am; silent auction all day. Sponsored by: Town of Clifton Park, Coffee News, Pet Lodge of Clifton Park, Seton Health, CDPHP, Conifer Realty, Dr. G. Kirk Gleason, Hollandale Apartments, Boot Camp Challenge, Clifton Park Self Storage, Foot Care of Clifton Park, Holiday Inn Express of Clifton Park.