This coming Sunday (December 3), the Saratoga Casino Hotel Foundation, Inc. will be awarding more than $25,000 to 21 different non-profit organizations.

The ceremony will take place at 11:30 a.m. 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 more than $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 will be in attendance for the cheque presentations. Two of the afternoon’s harness races have been named in honour of the grant recipients and the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors. The live racing program starts at 12:15 p.m. 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.”

A full list of this year’s grant recipients are as follows:

(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. (MACSC) - $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.”

(Saratoga Casino Hotel)