{"id":13878,"date":"2013-10-14T14:48:12","date_gmt":"2013-10-14T18:48:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2013\/10\/saratoga-harness-drivers-donate-funds-to-franklin-community-center-project.html"},"modified":"2017-11-08T13:53:45","modified_gmt":"2017-11-08T18:53:45","slug":"saratoga-harness-drivers-donate-funds-to-franklin-community-center-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2013\/10\/saratoga-harness-drivers-donate-funds-to-franklin-community-center-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Saratoga Harness Drivers Donate Funds To Franklin Community Center Project"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Franklin Community Center Executive Director Kari Cushing and her daughter Alexa (front, center) pose with drivers from Saratoga Casino and Raceway who helped Project Lift\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
For the fifth year in a row that drivers from the \nHarness Track at Saratoga Casino and Raceway \nchose Franklin Community Center and its Project \nLift as the target of a charitable donation.<\/p>\n
On Aug. 27, drivers at the track donated their \ndrivers’ fees for an entire day to the center. \nProject Lift received $6,000. That donation \nconsists of the $3,000 in driver’s fees which are voluntarily \ngiven up by the drivers and then matched \nby the casino.<\/p>\n
“The work that the Franklin Community Center \nstaff does with Project Lift is really appreciated by \neveryone in the community. Saratoga Casino and \nRaceway is proud to match the generous donation \nof our driving colony,” said Skip Carlson, vice \npresident of external affairs.<\/p>\n
Barry Segel, president of the Saratoga Harness Horsepersons Association, said “the horsemen value all of the services the Franklin Community Center provide, but Project Lift is special to us in that it helps provide role models and education to children that hold the key to the future of our community.”<\/p>\n
Project Lift is an after-school prevention program for at-risk youth in grades 1 through 5. Serving 75 children and their families in the Saratoga Springs City School District each year, it’s one of the center’s most important programs, officials said.<\/p>\n
Funding cuts and a struggling economy continue to affect Franklin Community Center and Project Lift, leaving staff to find supplemental income.<\/p>\n
Services to Project Lift families stretch farther than a basic after school program, center officials said. Offering a safe, caring and structured environment, Project Lift’s approach heightens children’s social and emotional competence, improves decision-making skills, offers lessons on the prevention of tobacco, drugs, alcohol and bullying, boosts self-esteem and helps strengthen the bond between child, family, school and community.<\/p>\n
All of the families enrolled in the program utilize the agency’s ancillary services, including food, clothing, school supplies for the entire family, holiday assistance and summer camp scholarships. Franklin Community Center feels the program is too important to too many families to see it dwindle, and the donation from the drivers is always an asset.<\/p>\n
“We consider ourselves so fortunate to have such a strong relationship with Saratoga Casino and Raceway, the drivers and staff. They not only understand the need in our community, they strive to help meet those needs throughout the year” said Executive Director Kari Cushing.<\/p>\n
Jaime Williams, associate director of the center, said Project Lift “has seen multiple funding cuts over the past few years leaving staff searching for ways to ensure the program remains a consistent and positive opportunity for the children, families and schools we serve. We are extremely grateful to the drivers and Saratoga Casino and Raceway for their continued support.”<\/p>\n
Photo Courtesy of Saratoga Casino & Raceway<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Franklin Community Center Executive Director Kari Cushing and her daughter Alexa (front, center) pose with drivers from Saratoga Casino and Raceway who helped Project Lift For the fifth year in a row that drivers from the Harness Track at…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":16089,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[57,60],"class_list":["post-13878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-news","tag-business-news","tag-charity"],"yoast_head":"\r\n
Saratoga Harness Drivers Donate Funds To Franklin Community Center Project - Saratoga Business Journal<\/title>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\r\n\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\r\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\r\n