SARATOGA SPRINGS – On Sunday, December 3, the Saratoga Casino Hotel Foundation, Inc. awarded over $25,000 to 21 different non-profit organizations. The ceremony took place in Fortunes Restaurant at Saratoga Casino Hotel.
The awards are part of the foundation’s annual grant awards, which recognize organizations that benefit the residents of Saratoga County. Initiatives that support youth, senior citizens, recreation, arts and community benefit are given priority. Since its inception in 2004, the Saratoga Casino Hotel Foundation has awarded over $350,000 to more than 150 non-profit groups in Saratoga County.
The Saratoga Casino Hotel Foundation is jointly funded by Saratoga Casino Hotel and the Saratoga Harness Horseperson’s Association. Representatives from the 21 non-profit organizations and the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors were in attendance for the check presentations. Also, two of the afternoon’s harness races were named in honor of the grant recipients and the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors. The 2017 harness racing program continues through Sunday, December 17.
“Since the Board of Supervisors authorized the establishment of the Saratoga Casino Hotel Foundation it has been a tremendous asset and has made a positive impact on the Saratoga County community,” said Ed Kinowski, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. “The awardees of these grants have done tremendous work for those they serve, and we’re happy that the Foundation can help these worthy organizations improve or expand their services. Strong non-profit organizations are important to the foundation of any community.”
“We created this foundation in 2004, in conjunction with the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, with the intention to assist as many local organizations as we possibly could,” said Skip Carlson, Vice President of External Affairs. “We’re proud to be here, 13 years later, still sticking true to that mission, lending a hand to organizations that don’t typically receive this type of funding.”
This year’s grant recipients are:
ORGANIZATION/AMOUNT
– Best Buddies New York $1,000
– The Charlton School $1,500
– The Children’s Museum at Saratoga $750
– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Planning Committee $750
– Franklin Community Center, Inc. $2,000
– Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren + Washington Counties $750
– Mechanicville Area Community Services Center, Inc. $2,000
– Rebuilding Together Saratoga County, Inc. $2,000
– Saratoga Center for the Family $500
– Saratoga County Children’s Committee (SCCC) $1,000
– Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council, Inc. $1,000
– Saratoga Mentoring $500
– Saratoga Sponsor a Scholar $1,000
– The Saratoga Springs History Museum $500
– Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation $500
– Schuylerville Food Pantry $500
– Senior Citizens Center of Saratoga Springs, Inc. $600
– Shelters of Saratoga, Inc. $2,500
– Stillwater Food Pantry $2,000
– Wellspring $3,500
– The Wesley Foundation $500
“The grant recipients do great work and make such a positive impact for our Saratoga County communities,” said Saratoga Springs Supervisor Matthew Veitch. “I’m glad the Foundation can do its small part to assist these organizations in their mission of providing positive alternatives to gaming. I thank Saratoga Casino Hotel and the Harness Horseperson’s Association for again funding this worthwhile program for another year.”
