With creativity and hearts of gold, Skidmore supports local nonprofits
What do peanut butter and jelly, ice hockey, Chicken Finger Friday, “Scarlet Begonias” by the Grateful Dead, and one of Skidmore’s most generous alumni benefactors have in common?
All are part of the Skidmore Cares community service program that creatively supports Saratoga County community organizations.
THE PERFECT MATCH
For the third consecutive year, Trustee James Zankel ’92 matched proceeds from Skidmania ’74 — a Skidmore musical tradition offering unique spins on musical hits from 50 years ago. This year’s sold-out performances raised approximately $30,000, with half contributed by Zankel through The Zankel Music Fund.
Proceeds from ticket sales and merchandise, matched by Trustee James Zankel ’92, benefit Skidmore Cares.
In total, Skidmania has generated about $100,000 for community causes over the past three years, thanks to Zankel’s support.
“This year, Skidmania paid tribute to music from the year 1974. One of the songs performed at the concert was ‘Scarlet Begonias’ by the Grateful Dead, which contains the lyric ‘Strangers stopping strangers just to shake their hand, everybody is playing in the Heart of Gold band.’ Those words resonate deeply with me and speak to the very ethos of this magnificent tradition,” Zankel said. “It is paramount that we be good neighbors to one another. Coming together in song, especially during the holiday season, allows our college to deliver on that promise with intention and joy.”
Skidmania organizer and Associate Professor of Music Jeremy Day-O’Connell praised Zankel’s commitment to the College, noting his varied service and generosity, as well as his support of Skidmania.
Trustee James Zankel ’92, shown here at Skidmania, has matched all proceeds from Skidmania for the past three years, helping Skidmore to raise around $100,000 for local community organizations.
“Jimmy established the Zankel Experience Network (ZEN), which offers Skidmore students exclusive experiential opportunities connecting them with alumni mentors, internships, summer fellowships, and research projects., Day-O’Connell said at Skidmania '74. “Like his father (Arthur Zankel), he’s dedicated to the flourishing of the arts and the bringing together of communities. Naturally, he’s a big fan of Skidmania.”
AN ENDURING EFFORT
Skidmania is a powerful example of how the Skidmore community gives back creatively through Skidmore Cares — a program that has supported nonprofits in the Saratoga community for almost two decades.
This year, Skidmore students, faculty, and staff collected nearly 5,000 (4,951) items — food, toiletries, school supplies, and household products — for community organizations through the initiative.
Beneficiaries are Franklin Community Center; Habitat for Humanity, Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties; Latino Community Advocacy Program; LifeWorks Community Action; Mary's Haven; Salvation Army; Saratoga Center for the Family; Saratoga Springs City School District PATHS program; Shelters of Saratoga; and Wellspring.
Founded in 2006 by then President Philip A. Glotzbach and Marie Glotzbach, Skidmore Cares has collected around 80,000 items and well over $200,000 for community groups over the years.
A COMMUNITY TRADITION
Skidmore students, staff, faculty, and alumni all play important roles in the campuswide effort, which is coordinated by Associate Director of Athletics Megan Buchanan and Associate Director of Civic Engagement Michelle Hubbs.
For instance, Skidmore student-athletes collected food items at Pack the Rink, the men’s hockey team’s home opener and another popular Skidmore tradition.
Two offices in North Hall — the Office of Advancement and Facilities Services — renewed a friendly rivalry and collected over 1,000 cans of soup for Skidmore Cares.
College offices on North Broadway collected peanut butter — and others, jelly — for Skidmore Cares. Other campus teams collected macaroni and cheese, cereal, rice, pasta, juice, snacks, and personal care items.
Each year, Skidmore employees along with students donate their time to collect and process donations to community groups through Skidmore Cares.
“Skidmore Cares has become something of a tradition for me,” explained Mike Durkee, a groundskeeper who helped load a truckload of food and personal items and deliver it to local charities. “It's one of the things that I look forward to each year. This is a great thing for Skidmore to do for Saratoga because there are a lot of people with a lot of need. This is something we can do to help ease that in a small way this time of year.”
The Skidmore Shop paid homage to another beloved weekly tradition and sold dozens of Chicken Finger Friday-themed T-shirts to support the effort.
“Skidmore Cares is one of my favorite traditions. The spirit of giving really demonstrates our commitment to the wonderful community to which we belong, while also demonstrating how, as always, Creative Thought Matters is ingrained in all that we do here at Skidmore,” said President Marc C. Conner.