By Khalida Sarwari
The youth of Saratoga should clear their social calendars for 2018; even more fun activities are in the pipeline than in recent years. While that’s good news for the demographic as a whole, the flurry of planned activities has left organizers in a bind, as there just isn’t enough money to cover the cost of all events. So, Saratoga’s Youth Commission is asking for a little help from the community.
The commission, in addition to serving as a liaison between the young residents of Saratoga and the City Council, also plans and promotes educational and fun activities for the city’s youth. Each year, the group of nearly a dozen middle and high school students receives funding from the council to host its events. Next year, according to city spokeswoman Lauren Pettipiece, the commission plans to increase the number of activities it hosts, which will necessitate fundraising to the tune of $2,100 at various youth commission and city-sponsored events.
“The youth commission wanted to provide even more opportunities to promote a social, healthy, active and inclusive community,” Pettipiece said by email.
To that end, commissioners will have a donation booth at upcoming events, seek sponsorship donations from various organizations in the community and raise funds through ticket sales as well as participation costs. Through those efforts, the commission’s goal is to raise an estimated $2,100 to complement the $3,000 it is expected to receive from the council toward its activities for the 2017-18 fiscal year.
“These goals are met by introducing a number of new events, including movie nights, Sports Field Day and a dance for individuals with disabilities, in addition to existing events like the 5K Color Dash and the expansion of the Walk One Week program,” Pettipiece said.
The commission went before the city council on Nov. 15 to present and submit a fundraising plan, which is required of any group that seeks to solicit donations exceeding $500.
The deeper pocketbook will allow the commission to have a bigger presence at community events next year, as well as organize several events of their own and in partnership with the recreation department. Donations can be made at any number of upcoming events, including the commission’s two movie nights, Sports Field Day, this weekend’s Holiday Tree Lighting, next month’s Celebration of Light, Lunar New Year, St. Paddy’s Day and Blossom Festival.
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