To the editor:

As we are in the season of Thanksgiving, I would like to take this time to say thank you to all who supported the Saranac Lake Youth Center in 2018! 

2018 was a year of CONNECTION for us. What does connection mean? Instead of going to the dictionary, I went to Thesaurus.com. These words popped up: contact, network, relation, ally, acquaintance, friend, intermediary, mentor and sponsor, among others. I immediately thought of our community and visualized a spider’s web with each thread closest to the middle being attached to a new thread farther out. As the spider continues to spin its web, the web strengthens. Connections. Strengthen. Community. Connections strengthen community. We saw these connections in abundance this year, and they have definitely made us strong.

We saw some wonderful changes within the Youth Center thanks to the many acts of generosity bestowed upon us from our amazing community. We had a beautiful pool table and cue sticks donated to us by Adam Harris of Grizle-T’s. Mark Lopez purchased beautiful new pool cues for the center, and Amusement Vending generously brought the new pool table to the center and set it up for us. Mayor Clyde Rabideau set up a successful Facebook fundraiser on our behalf that CONNECTED us to many new people and which led to the much-needed pool table and equipment upgrades. A new basketball hoop was purchased thanks to proceeds from the Lutheran church women’s bake sale at Winter Carnival and was assembled by Mountain Lake Academy youth, who spent hours putting it together. Connections. A sponsorship letter given to an organization CONNECTED us with an individual who became a new board member. An individual’s business card handed to me by a current board member led to another new board member! Connections. That new board member CONNECTED us to some wonderful new volunteers. Each day brings new connections and new opportunities, which in turn strengthens our web, our community. 

There are so many people-businesses-organizations to thank for supporting us that I couldn’t possibly name them all. So let me end this letter with this — we are so incredibly thankful for ALL OF YOU! The connections and opportunities that you have brought us this year have strengthened and provided growth for our little community here at the Saranac Lake Youth Center.

May you have the happiest of holidays and a blessed new year!

Sincerely, 

Aleacia Landon, director, and the Saranac Lake Youth Center Board of Directors

Saranac Lake