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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. >> An Egg- Stravaganza will take place in the Spa City this weekend, featuring Easter fun for kids while raising money to help a good cause. The second annual Taylor’s Heroes Egg- Stravaganza will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 8 at Congress Park in Saratoga Springs.
The springtime festival will include an Easter Egg Hunt, games, a silent auction, story readings face and nail painting, as well as special guests Saratoga Springs Mayor Joanne Yepsen and The Easter Bunny.
The Egg-Stravaganza was started in 2016 as a fundraising effort for Spa City-based nonprofit organization Taylor’s Heroes. This family-run effort offers free programs in fitness and nutrition for kids ages eight through 18, founded in memory of David Taylor Miller, a 2009 Saratoga Springs High School graduate who was killed in Afghanistan while serving in the U.S. Marines.
Taylor’s Heroes was founded in 2011 by Taylor’s mother, Leslie Miller, and his aunt, Suzanne D’Iorio, to honor Taylor’s memory and his efforts and success in becoming healthy, fit and happy during his life.
“The whole idea behind the charity is to help children get fit and learn the basics of nutrition while they have a lifetime to enjoy the benefits,” explained Miller, board president, in a press release. She and a board of advisors came up with a plan of action to help kids and teens establish healthy eating and exercise habits they can carry through their lifetime. The curriculum centers around a free 14-week fitness and nutrition program for children ages eight through 18.
Participants are given a free membership to the Saratoga Regional YMCA for three months; weekly group personal training; the opportunity to try any two sports; nutrition and cooking classes with their family; a food diary to track daily diet and activity; and an opportunity to win prizes at the completion of the program, which is offered to area residents yearround.
A new 14-week session will begin later this month, on April 20, for children and teens seeking healthier lifestyles.
“We look for great kids like Taylor who are stuck in their bodies and aren’t sure how to change. They’re also intimidated by gyms and competitive sports and therefore avoid them. Over- eating as a response to not fitting in only perpetuates the problem,” Miller said in the release.
Since its inception, the Taylor’s Heroes program has seen dozens of kids learn and often cement better eating and exercise habits. “To see kids come to the program apprehensive, and then see them leave fit and energetic with a permagrin... it still gives me goose bumps every time,” vice president D’Iorio added.
Yepsen, who worked with Taylor’s Heroes when it was first being formed, believes in the organization’s mission of allowing youth to experience a transformation that builds confidence.
Yepsen also knew David Taylor Miller personally. “What he accomplished in his short life, especially in the last couple of years, was amazing. He went from being self conscious and unfit to really physically, mentally and emotionally a very strong human being. I think joining the military sort of gave him that path, but it was his will and determination that made him happier.”
Yepsen is also glad that the city now has a public Easter Egg Hunt of its own. “I always wanted to have one in our city,” she said. The Taylor’s Heroes EggStravaganza brings a lot of positive aspects together under one event, the mayor said, noting that it raises awareness and for the organization, builds funds for its programs, and provides an opportunity to honor military personnel. “It’s also a great service to our city to have this great festival feeling close to easter when it’s becoming spring and Congress Park is becoming more enjoyable as the snow melts,” she continued. “It’s a really great family day all the way around and it’s great for Saratoga.”
The April 8 Egg- Stravaganza benefit for Taylor’s Heroes will feature two egg hunt areas: one for ages five and younger, and one for ages six through 12.
Tickets are$ 10 per child, and can be purchased through www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2495601, www.TaylorsHeroes.org or at the event.
A rain date is set for 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 9, at Congress Park.
For more information on Taylor’s Heroes and its programs, visit www.TaylorsHeroes.org, or call (518) 683-8425.