Scotties BackPack Program expands

BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. >> The Scotties BackPack Program, in collaboration with the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, has now expanded to all four elementary schools.

Launched in 2017 at Milton Terrace Elementary School., the program provides a bag of easyto-prepare food to selected students each week to eat throughout the weekend. The program started with providing weekend meals to 30 students and the goal is to provide food for 175 students this school year.

The cost to provide weekend meals for one student for the school year is $183. Revenue to support the program is raised by individual and corporate donations as well as through any available grant sources.

Brookside Museum, Ballston Spa Rotary, and Malta Sunrise Rotary recently joined together and sponsored a Chicken BBQ to benefit the Scotties BackPack Program. Through their efforts and contributions from many local businesses, they raised over

$3,000 to donate to the program. They have also placed collection containers in businesses throughout the district.

Please contact Ray Otten at 518-852-2642 for additional information on the community support efforts.

Other major contributors to the program have been Applied Materials, The Saratoga Hospital, Ballston Spa Elks Lodge #2619, and Global Foundries/Town of Malta Foundation.

Applied Materials employees participated in the Malta 5K earlier this school year and based upon the number of employees that participated, the Malta 5K awarded $200 to their charity of choice, which was the Gordon Creek BackPack program in Ballston Spa.

That program provides meals for students on weekends and currently serves over 40 Gordon Creek students.

Individual and corporate sponsorships are always welcome! For a link to donate online visit https://www.bscsd.org/ domain/28. Donations by check should be made payable to the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region or CFGCR and may be sent to:

Kelly Delaney-Elliott, BSCSD, 70 Malta Ave., Ballston Spa, N.Y. 12020. Anyone interested in volunteering to support the BackPack program, please contact (518) 884-7195 x1369.

PHOTO PROVIDED At the check presentation, from left, are Malta 5K Race Director Paul Loomis, Applied Materials’ Bethany Placides and Jennifer Parker, with Gordon Creek staff members Rebecca Potter, Sandi Balet, Miranda Glogowski, Carolyn Mitchell and Kim Turney.

PHOTO PROVIDED The Scotties BackPack Program, in collaboration with the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, has now expanded to all four elementary schools.