An Evening of Autumn Giving

Adirondack Trust Company Community Fund – Local Contributions, Local Distributions

*ATCCF Advisory Committee Chair Dr. Brian Straughter greets attendees*

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Wednesday, October 20 was a wonderful evening – on several levels. Each of these levels had a common characteristic, however, in that they all felt like renewed acquaintances with old friends.

One level was the setting. How nice it was to be at Longfellows for an event again! The hospitality of the staff is always excellent; and I love all the nooks, crannies; balconies, multi-levels and trout tanks in this facility that makes it a dream to photograph.

Another level is the event itself. The Adirondack Trust Company Community Fund (ATCCF) occupies a central facilitating role in 12866, befitting an organization that rightfully wears the mantle of “Saratoga’s Community Bank,” in that there is hardly a local individual who has not participated in it’s activities in some form: as a contributor; as a recipient; sometimes both. This night’s event – ‘An Evening of Autumn Giving’ – is the ATCCF’s signature annual event, and many people were elated to have this return to a live program, after a year where is was necessary to go virtual, although it should be noted that even then, they did not miss a beat insofar as contributions and distributions go.

I have always been struck by the fact that this event has a proletarian element in that it is one of the most affordable events on the gala calendar. Certainly there are some large donors to the fund, but on this night just 25 dollars gets you in with a nice buffet from Longfellows’ kitchen. And yet, the cumulative impact is staggering. It is kind of like buying a microshare in a race horse, where the race horse turns out to be Secretariat!

Consider these numbers, shared by ATCCF Advisory Committee Chair Dr. Brian Straughter during his remarks: since 2013, the ATCCF has bestowed 235 “Lend-A-Hand Grants” to local charities and not-for-profits that have totaled almost $462,000! The positive impact from these grants was reinforced by case histories delivered by two of the many past grant recipients: Maggie Fronk from Wellspring, and Captain Barker of the local Salvation Army

Lastly, another level that is certainly not the least was the opportunity for people to reconnect with friends and colleagues that have not seen each other in quite some time. It was an evening of giving, but there were many who received something priceless in return. All this is reflected in the gallery that follows, and I hope you enjoy it.

Arthur Gonick – October 24, 2021