Saratoga Auto Museum Awarded Grants for Educational Programs

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Adirondack Trust Company and Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable Trust to Help Fund Ongoing Programs

Story By: SETH WARDEN     Photos By: DAVE DALESANDRO / RACERSGUIDE.COM

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY- January 17, 2016- The Saratoga Automobile Museum has been awarded grants from two highly respected supporters of regional educational programs, with each grant dedicated to ongoing programs at the museum.

The grant provided by the Adirondack Trust Company Community Fund will enhance the Museum’s ability to provide educational programming to children in our community.  Under the direction of SAM Education Director Seth Warden, SAM’s Garage provides “hands on” learning experiences for area students.

Past programs have included rebuilding the running gear of the museum’s famed Cretor Popcorn Wagon and construction of a Model A Huckster vehicle, with the students mentored by members of the regional Model T and Model A Clubs, respectively. The latter group is again involved in the current SAM’s Garage project, which will involve restoring a pair of vintage Quarter midget racers donated by SAM trustee Kevin Biebel of New Milford, CT.

The Adirondack Trust Company Community Fund’s mission is to promote and perpetuate philanthropic giving in the Saratoga Springs region, and it is hoped that their support of the SAM’s Garage program will encourage others to become involved as well.

The second grant, announced on December 15, 2015, was from the Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable Trust. It was earmarked for the Saratoga Automobile Museum’s national acclaimed Distracted Driving Initiative Program with the intention of allowing SAM to make the program mobile, taking the museum’s new driving simulators to appropriate sites around the region.

Since the program was initiated in August, 2015, deputies from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Department, area educators and countless museum visitors have used the state of the art simulators to learn how a few seconds of distraction can lead to tragedy and result in injury to yourself and others.

“This program shows not only how easy it is to be distracted, but the penalties and expense a driver who texts, uses their cellphone or is distracted by any number of things may face,” offered SAM educational director Seth Warden. “It is suitable for everyone from those just getting their learner’s permit to senior citizens, and our mission is to educate everyone to the dangers they face each and every time they get behind the wheel. This grant will allow us to educate these diverse audiences without them having to travel to the museum.”

“We are extremely grateful to the Adirondack Trust Company Community Fund and the Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable Trust for both their financial support of our educational program and the trust they have placed in the Saratoga Automobile Museum,” summed up Anthony Ianniello, Chairman of the Saratoga Automobile Museum board of trustees. “Education is our primary mission and area residents of all ages will benefit from their support of these two programs.”

More information on SAM’s Garage, the Distracted Driving program and other museum programs and activities can be found online at www.saratogaautomuseum.org.

The mission of the Saratoga Automobile Museum is to preserve, interpret and exhibit automobiles and automotive artifacts. We celebrate the automobile and educate the general public, students and enthusiasts regarding the role of the automobile in New York State and in the wider world. In addition to technical and design aspects, our educational focus is on the past, present and future social and economic impact of the automobile. With a strong focus on safety today on the roads. The Museum is chartered by the Board of Regents of the State of New York Department of Education as a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit institution. The Museum is a member of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and the National Association of Automobile Museums (NAAM).

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