Special Olympics New York is launching a new volunteer club as charity organizations across the country celebrate National Volunteer Month this April. Members of the all-new Impact Club will help drive the inclusion of people with disabilities in communities across the state by performing administrative tasks via phone and email on behalf of Special Olympics New York. Volunteers will not be asked to solicit cash donations.

Volunteers interested in joining the Impact Club are asked to contact impact@nyso.org for more information.

“Special Olympics New York is an incredible organization that allows people with disabilities to discover the champion within – it’s a critical service that would not be possible without the thousands of New Yorkers who volunteer to support our athletes,” said Special Olympics New York President & CEO Stacey Hengsterman. “We are humbled and extremely grateful for the invaluable contributions of our coaches and event volunteers. We look forward to celebrating these individuals throughout Volunteer Month and to welcoming new ambassadors of inclusion who join the Impact Club.”

“I can’t wait to work with our Impact Club volunteers to support my fellow athletes and bring the magic of Special Olympics to even more families across New York,” said Capital Region Athlete & Special Olympics NY Awareness Coordinator Jude Killar. “On behalf of all the athletes, thank you to the current volunteers who help us out all year. You are our champions!”

Impact Club volunteers will be eligible for Community Service credit hours. Tasks will be assigned monthly, with an anticipated time commitment of at least two hours per week. The ideal Impact Club volunteer is organized, friendly, patient and professional.

By Christine Graf

Almost 80 years ago, the Dake brothers opened their first Stewart’s ice cream shop in Ballston Spa. Today, Stewart’s Shops has 357 stores and more than 5,000 employees on the payroll.

Each year, the company spends approximately $50 million to purchase property, build new stores, and renovate existing stores.

“For the last five to ten years, that has been our model,” said Robin Cooper, public relations manager for Stewart’s Shops. “We identify which stores don’t have the food-to-go option—the pizza, the sandwiches, the soups. That’s been our growth area, and that’s what customers seem to be wanting more of. Some of our older stores may have been renovated but may not have been expanded to the level where we can add some of those things.”

When expansion isn’t possible, the company sometimes purchases nearby property, building a new store and shuttering the old one. That was recently the case for the small shop located at the corner of Watervliet-Shaker and Old Loudon Roads in Latham. Expansion of the store, one built in 1981, was not possible, and there was no adjoining property available for sale.

“There wasn’t property to be had to expand at that site,” said Cooper, noting that a new shop, one that is expected to open before the end of the year, is being built 1.5 miles away at 956 Loudon Road.

The company plans to sell the property on the corner of Watervliet-Shaker and Old Loudon Road, and several buyers have expressed interest in purchasing it.

In recent years, Stewart’s has sold several of their old locations after building new stores in the vicinity. The one at 16 Round Lake Road in Malta was purchased by Kimberly Salerno, who opened a law office in a former Stewart’s location. The building sat empty for several years after a new store was built on property directly across the street. Before opening her office in late 2022, Salerno completely renovated the building, both inside and out. Just a few miles north at 2505 Route 9 in Ballston Spa, another former Stewart’s Shop was transformed into La Lume Hair Salon. Owner Shannon Ramirez spent more than $1 million to purchase and renovate the building.