ABIGAIL #3 - Albany, NY

Chapter President
                                
Anna Kagan Bender (518) 783-5056

                                     
Email: AnnaKB@UOTS.org
 

On July 17, 2007 the Albany Times Union newspaper published an article to help our chapter to raise its public profile.

Abigail #3 was founded in 1857 in the city of Albany, New York.  For over a century and a half, we have been assisting persons in the capital district and their families.  We have a very active chapter and have many ongoing cancer service projects.  A few of these accomplishments are listed below: 

• Provide Camp scholarships for children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases.  A grant of $5,000 is endowed each year to Double 'H' Hole in the Woods at Lake Luzerne, NY.

• Donate sample soaps, shampoos, are donated to the Merrilac House (help Albany); collecting craft items for the Double H Hole in the Woods Camp for Children.

• Provide personal service items such as wigs, prostheses and personal comfort items.

• Donated $10,000 to the Gilda's Club for the Noogieland Kitchenette.  We have now donated an additional $3,500.  $1,000 of this money is for the initial stocking of the kitchenette with snacks, juices, paper goods and whatever else they need.  Gilda's Club is planning to start a program for the children, in cooperation with the culinary arts program at Schenectady community college.  They will work with the children making cookies, ice cream and other goodies.  Abigail #3 is pleased to donate an additional $2,500 for children's chairs and tables, ice cream makers, cookie sheets and other equipment in support of this program.  These donations, along with our original gift of $1,500 to the capital building fund bring our total commitment to Gilda's Club to $15,000.  We will also donate some of our teddy bears to be used in the children's therapy groups. In 2004 President Sally Tillman, PP Sandy Carr and PP Harriet Wicks, philanthropic chair attended a "pole signing" at Gilda's Club.  Gilda's Club national policy does not allow for individual plaques on rooms.  Instead, major donors were invited to sign a plastered steel beam which will be preserved for posterity.  Since the beam will be enclosed, we also signed papers that will be framed and preserved.                 

• Created Hats for Hugs. This is a program that donates hats to cancer children and adults who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Anyone that can knit or crochet and has left over soft yarn, please contact Deanne Palatsky at 518-489-6247. The response has been overwhelming.  So far over three dozen hats have been donated.

• Furnished the South Clinic Campus Breast Center of Albany Medical Center with art work and decorative pieces for the family meeting room.      

Abigail #3 and each chapter collects coins and dollars in canisters in a project called "miles of pennies".  This money goes toward our pledge to the double h hole in the woods grant to send children to camp.  

Anyone wishing to join this prestigious chapter may contact the President at the above address.  Meetings are open to all who would like to hear more about our organization.  Please join us! If you would like to see a sample of our chapter newsletter, please click the button below.

                                  

Click thumbnail photos to view a larger image

2008 President Anna Kagan Bender Anna Kagan Bender receives the Abigail Presidents Pin from PNP, PP Marian Cohen	2008 Abigail Board of Directors (left to right) Fin. Sec. Janice Rubenstein, Treasurer PP Sally Tillman, Mentor Eileen Greenfield, Pres. Anna Kagan Bender, Corr. Sec. PP NVP Harriet Wicks, and 2nd VP Marilyn Freedman Missing from photo is Rec. Sec. Dorry Kotzin	Woman of Valor 2008 PNP, PP Marian Cohen (left) and President Anna Kagan Bender (right) with our 2008 Woman of Valor PP Elissa Peckage (center)	Installation cake 2008 The cake was decorated with the official Abigil logo