Saratoga Race Course to host Salvation Army Back to School Expo on August 26
The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will host The Salvation Army's Back to School Expo on Wednesday, August 26, at historic Saratoga Race Course. The annual event, presented in collaboration with New York Institute of Technology (New York Tech), will be held in the Taste NY Pavilion from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Designed to prepare students for the upcoming school year, children from Saratoga County will receive backpacks filled with school supplies to help them start the new school year prepared for success. Families can also connect with local service providers and community-based organizations in attendance to learn more about valuable programs and resources available throughout Saratoga County.
The Back to School Expo builds on a longstanding partnership between NYRA and The Salvation Army. For decades, The Salvation Army has operated its annual Red Kettle Campaign at Saratoga, engaging with racing fans and the broader Saratoga community to support its local programs and services.
“Preparing children for a successful school year takes more than a backpack—it takes a community,” said Salvation Army Pastor and Corps Officer Dania Green. “We are proud to bring together local organizations, businesses and community partners to support families, and grateful to NYRA for its continued commitment to The Salvation Army and the Saratoga community.”
The Salvation Army Back to School Expo is part of NYRA’s Students to the Starting Gate program, sponsored by New York Tech. Since 2024, the Students to the Starting Gate program has donated more than 1,000 backpacks to students in Nassau, Queens and Saratoga Counties.
“NYRA is committed to creating educational experiences that broaden young people’s horizons and help prepare them for the future,” said Robert Hines, NYRA Community Affairs Manager. “We’re proud to build on our longstanding partnership with The Salvation Army and give local students the resources they need to get off to a strong start this school year.”
New York Tech’s support of Students to the Starting Gate reflects a shared commitment to helping students succeed through educational resources and opportunities. The partnership also introduces young people to future educational pathways and career possibilities.
“At New York Tech, students can pursue career-focused programs in fields ranging from engineering, computer science, and architecture to business, health professions, and medicine," said Joseph Posillico, Ed.D., Vice President for Enrollment Management and Strategic Communications at New York Tech. "We’re committed to introducing students to these educational and career opportunities and inspiring them to imagine where their interests and talents can take them.”
Highlighted by the 157th renewal of the Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers on Saturday, August 29, the Saratoga summer meet continues through Labor Day, Monday, September 7.
For more information about Saratoga Race Course, visit NYRA.com.
About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army helped more than 28 million people in 2025 overcome poverty, addiction, and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food, shelter, eviction prevention assistance, emergency disaster relief, rehabilitation, after-school and summer youth programs, spiritual enrichment, and more, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at more than 7,500 centers of operation around the country. For more information, visit SalvationArmyUSA.org. Follow us on Facebook @SalvationArmyUSA.
About New York Institute of Technology
New York Institute of Technology (New York Tech) offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, professional and medical degree programs in high demand disciplines including computer science, data science, and cybersecurity; biology, health professions, and medicine; architecture and design; engineering; IT and digital technologies; management; and energy and sustainability. The university's student-centered approach, academic support programs, generous scholarships, and career-oriented programs support its mission to provide all qualified students access to opportunity. Caring, expert faculty and staff provide an outcomes-focused, technology-infused student experience and support research and scholarship that benefit the larger world. More than 120,000 alumni are part of an engaged network of physicians, architects, scientists, engineers, business leaders, digital artists, and healthcare professionals. Together, the university’s community of doers, makers, healers, and innovators empowers graduates to change the world, solve 21st-century challenges, and reinvent the future.
