Posted by Julia Leef
The second floor of the Murray-Aikins Dining Hall hosted the seventh annual luncheon for fifty members of Skidmore Cares on Thursday, Nov. 15. President Phillip Glotzbach and his wife Marie started the organization in 2006 to support local organizations during the holiday season.
The program began with faculty and staff participation but has since expanded to include student volunteers as well. Several student organizations support the program, including the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, which meets each month in order to organize service and community initiatives.
"We are what we are in part because of what Saratoga Springs is," Glotzbach said. "It's important for us to come together as a community to show that we care."
Donations are collected by "cheerleaders"-Skidmore employees who promote and organize the event. These cheerleaders include members from Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, Finance and Administration, Admissions, Alumni Affairs and the Office of Advancement, who are responsible for donating various items to their respective programs, such as canned goods or school supplies.
The recipients of the 2012 Skidmore Cares program are nine local organizations dedicated to helping those in need. This year's organizations are the Corinth Central School District, the Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Services of Saratoga County, the Franklin Community Center, the Latino Community Advocacy Program, Mary's Haven, The Salvation Army, the Saratoga County Equal Opportunity Council, the Saratoga Springs City School District PATHS Program and the Shelters of Saratoga.
There will be an open house from 3 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 7 at the Scribner House for Skidmore employees and their families. During this time, the organizations will drop off their donations in a sleigh sitting on the Scribner House front lawn. Student volunteers, led by the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and Benef-Action, are also collecting items on campus until Dec. 7.