Five Rivers hosts fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity
Even with this year’s uncharacteristically warm afternoons, January is the month that many Capital District residents begin to look longingly out of their kitchen windows and dream of spring.
An upcoming fundraiser, however, is giving those with cabin fever an opportunity to not only enjoy winter sports, but help the less fortunate gain their own shelter from the cold.
Capital District Habitat for Humanity and local Eastern Mountain Sports stores are partnering for the second year to bring a snowshoeing fundraiser to the area. Last year’s event was a Pine Bush, and this year, participants will be stomping through the Five Rivers Environmental Center and raising money for donation.
The partnership is a mutually beneficial one. Habitat for Humanity receives donations that will go toward building materials for homes that will be sold to low-income families, and EMS has an opportunity to showcase its selection of snowshoes by providing pairs for participants to borrow.
We like to try and partner with local organizations and help them out when we can, and we just felt that Habitat is a good community building organization, said EMS Outreach Director Emily Durrant.
EMS will provide snowshoes for the day at no cost to those who don’t own their own. It makes the event a great chance to give winter sporting a try, said Durrant.
`It gets people out and excited about being out in the winter,` she said. `Anybody can snowshoe, and even if you don’t necessarily like the winter you can enjoy being outside.`
EMS has three stores locally: at Mohawk Commons in Niskayuna, Stuyvesant Plaza in Guilderland and on Route 50 in Saratoga Springs.
Last year, about 100 people turned out to the Pine Bush Preserve to snowshoe a 1-, 2-, or 5-mile loop, raising $8,000 for CDHH.
`We were actually very surprised last year to have such a great turnout so we are hoping to increase the number of snowshoers and the amount of money attached to it,` said CDHH Director of Development Ericka Small.
As with last year, participants will be able to travel however many miles they are comfortable with through the 450-acre preserve’s 10 miles of trails. There will be giveaways, raffles and hot chocolate and snacks served throughout the day.
`We thought it would be a good place to hold it this year, they have a lot of different trails to use,` said Durrant.
Habitat for Humanity builds homes for low-income families using volunteer labor and then sells them at below market value with zero percent loans.
`The whole goal ultimately is to create successful homeowners,` Small said.
To learn more about CDHH, donate or volunteer, visit www.capitaldistricthabitat.org. You can also download a brochure and donor sheet for the snowshoeing event. If you plan to participate in the event and will need to borrow snowshoes, contact EMS in Stuyvesant Plaza at 482-0088 to reserve a pair.
The fundraiser will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Five Rivers is located at 56 Game Farm Road.
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