Local businesses and agencies show gestures of kindness with 2016’s ‘extra day’

SARATOGA COUNTY >> Many celebrated Leap Day in a new and compassionate way this year, thanks to a movement put forth by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.

Throughout the month of February, the chamber urged not only its members, but members of the communities throughout Saratoga County and beyond, to join in on Leap of Kindness Day.

The idea of using this “extra day” to do good came from chamber president Todd Shimkus. “We thought the best way to use this extra day was to encourage our members and our community to do something kind for someone else,” he explained in a press release. “Rather than simply asking people to do random acts of kindness, we launched this effort 30 days in advance and have worked diligently to connect organizations looking to make a big impact with others in the community who could benefit from a simple thank you or a donation of some kind.”

While many large efforts were organized amongst the chamber membership, the chamber suggested that individuals also participate by leaving an extra large tip, writing a thank you note, buying coffee or lunch for a coworker, donating to a local charity or writing a positive review of a local business online.

These and other acts of kindness took place all throughout the county on Monday, with the sentiment that recipients should pay it forward by doing something kind of someone else, passing along the positivity.

The kindness started before dawn, at 12:05 a.m., when a handful of enthusiastic chamber members completed the first official act of kindness by delivering healthy snacks to the overnight shift workers at Ellis Hospital Urgent Care Center in Clifton Park.

Also in the southern part of Saratoga County, Sen. Kathy Marchione began her Leap of Kindness Day by providing free coffee and donuts for local senior citizens later that morning at the Mechanicville Senior Citizen Center.

“To be able to do something kind for someone else as a community and hope that those people who participate then pay it forward is such a great idea, and we’re thrilled to participate in it,” Marchione said.

The senator said she chose to do something for seniors, “to thank the seniors for being the backbone of our country, and certainly our state here. Sometimes I don’t think they hear that enough, how much they did for us and how grateful we are.”

Local senior citizen Stephen Dennis, a 93-year-old Mechanicville resident and World War II veteran, appreciated the gesture as he started his day with a coffee and a donut at the center, where he often comes to eat lunch and socialize.

“Every day when I get up it’s a beautiful day,” Dennis said appreciatively, and despite the cloudy skies and rain, Monday was no exception.

Some Saratoga Springs firefighters were also treated to breakfast on Monday by the downtown Hampton Inn hotel.

“Thank you so much for your generosity and kindness,” the fire department wrote on Facebook. “We are so happy to serve such an amazing community.”

In Clifton Park, technology-driven materials company Polyset Company Inc. did the same for the emergency responders of Clifton Park & Halfmoon EMS.

Many local businesses and organizations collected food items for food pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters.

In an act of kindness for their four-legged friends, staff members from Saratoga National Bank organized a pet food drive to celebrate Leap of Kindness Day.

First National Bank of Scotia collected books for troops at all of its branches.

Additionally, Roohan Realty hosted a dessert social for seniors at the Embury Apartments.

First graders at Geyser Road Elementary made spring banners and decorations for the nursing home at Saratoga Hospital.

Girl Scout brownie Troop #3134 of Saratoga Springs did a clothing food and hygiene product drive for the Franklin Community Center.

“This community is so generous that it absolutely exceeded all expectations,” Shimkus said mid-day Monday between acts of kindness. “I don’t think anybody had a sense that we would literally have hundreds of volunteers that are either thanking or helping thousands of people today, just here in Saratoga County, and even more beyond. It’s really just been a whole lot of fun to watch it grow.”

While the local chamber focused its efforts on connecting people and organizations together in Saratoga County, it has shared its Leap of Kindness Day idea and logo with chambers of commerce in more than a dozen states including Texas, to North Dakota, Minnesota, Virginia and Rhode Island. The Leap of Kindness logo was designed so that it could be used by anyone anywhere that wanted to participate.

Beyond the local efforts, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, through its Employees Caring for our Communities initiative, encouraged all of employees to join the celebration by doing something kind for someone else and sharing their acts online using the #leapofkindnessday hashtag.

To learn more about what acts of kindness occurred on Monday visit the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce Facebook page or follow the hashtag #leapofkindnessday on social media sites.

Happy with how the event turned out, Shimkus said, ”really this was a huge win for just about everybody that participated.”