JLS at Syracuse Crunch: Saturday, February 21st at 7 p.m.
Save the Date! Mark your calendars for the 31st Annual Holiday Shoppes, coming November 13-15, 2026. It’s never too early to start brainstorming ways to make next year even more magical!
Here’s how you can help: If you know potential new merchants, raffle donors, sponsors, or entertainers who would like to be part of next year’s event, please share their contact information with hs@jlsyracuse.org. Together, we can continue growing this wonderful tradition and make an even bigger impact.
As we wrap up the joyful celebration of the 30th Annual Holiday Shoppes Fundraiser held November 7-9 at the New York State Fairgrounds Horticulture Building, we want to extend our deepest gratitude to all the incredible volunteers who made this event such a spectacular success Your dedication and hard work truly brought the holiday spirit to life and helped us reach new heights this year!
This year’s fundraiser was full of exciting new additions that delighted over 3k attendees of all ages We were thrilled to welcome Otto the Orange, who energized the crowd with his fun personality Early risers enjoyed a refreshing pre-show mat Pilates class hosted by Soma Movement, setting a positive tone for their day. Our partnership with the Food Bank of CNY was a tremendous success, collecting an inspiring 1,239 pounds of food to support those in need this holiday season.
Of course, we brought back some beloved fan favorites! The Merchant Mingle was once again a highlight, featuring generous donations from Chobani and Glazed and Confused’s delicious mini donut trays. Our VIP Night offered exclusive samplings from Long Drink, decadent catering by Coppertop, an open bar, and lively entertainment that kept spirits high all evening And no holiday event would be complete without a visit from Santa and Mrs. Clause, spreading cheer throughout the weekend with the photo area donated by Blooms and Blossoms.
Thanks to your efforts and the support of our community, we raised over $30,000 in revenue through admission, raffle ticket sales, and our cozy sock shop funds that will directly benefit our ongoing mission
WE'RE MOVING... AND STAYING
First, I would like to extend a BIG thank you to everyone in the League who has served on the Ad Hoc Lease Committee or shared recommendations over the past year as we’ve explored various options for our Junior League office and meeting spaces. Last year’s board took on the challenge of evaluating how we could reduce overhead costs and reinvest more funds into our mission. A key part of this was researching potential locations in the downtown Syracuse area
What we found was that no location could offer the perfect combination of visibility, accessibility, safety, and cost efficiency quite like the Philanthropy Center does for our meetings. Fortunately, the Community Foundation has been eager to help us find a creative solution to our current lease situation and has generously offered to allow us to use the meeting spaces in their building free of charge (while we rebuild our membership) after our current office/boardroom lease ends
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our committee meetings have moved to Zoom, and our Office Administrator now works just five hours a week. As a result, our office space has largely become a storage area for the League’s materials. In light of this, the board has decided to move out of our current office space in February and transition our Office Administrator to work from home. We’ve already provided her with an updated laptop, and she has been working diligently to digitize our historical documents
In the coming weeks, we will be upgrading our storage unit, and we’re excited to announce that we will host a JLS Heritage Day in January. This event will provide a chance for our Actives to connect with our history by going through photo albums, files, and memorabilia with our Sustainers. It’s an opportunity for meaningful storytelling and building connections across generations of Junior League members. More details to come!
For all practical purposes, our General Membership Meetings (GMMs) and events will continue as usual in the Ballroom and 3rd Floor Conference Room at the Philanthropy Center. This move is the solution we’ve been looking for and will allow us to reduce overhead by nearly $15,000 a year, enabling us to focus more on our
-RACHEL NELSON PRESIDENT
SPREAD THE WORD: HOW YOUR SHARES GROW THE LEAGUE
As the snow starts falling (because honestly, who does winter better than Central New York?), we’re gearing up for one of our busiest and most exciting seasons in the Junior League of Syracuse With Holiday Shoppes, community projects, trainings, and member events on the horizon, this is a perfect time to let the world know what JLS is up to and you play a huge role in that.
Here’s the truth: your voice travels farther than any official account ever could. When you share a League post on your own social media, you’re not just adding a little sparkle to your feed you’re helping your friends, coworkers, and community see the impact JLS members make all year long.
And yes, sometimes that one share is all it takes for someone to think, “That looks like something I’d love to be part of.”
Three Easy Ways to Help Grow Our Reach This Fall
1. Hit ‘Share’ on a Post That Speaks to You: Whether it’s an upcoming event, a volunteer moment, or a member spotlight, if it made you proud to be part of JLS, share it! Add a quick note about why the League matters to you, personal stories always resonate.
2. Invite Women in Your Circle to Learn More: We all know someone who’d thrive here: the friend who loves community work, the coworker who’s always organizing, the neighbor who’s looking to get involved. Sharing our posts is an easy, no-pressure way to introduce them to who we are.
3. Celebrate Your Own League Experience: Post a photo from a meeting, a volunteer shift, or even your morning coffee with your committee binder and tag us! Your lived experience makes the League feel real, welcoming, and accessible to potential members
Your Share Makes a Difference
Every time you repost, comment, or tag, you strengthen the visibility of our mission and invite more women to step into leadership, service, and community. You never know who might be watching and thinking, “Maybe this is my moment ”
-VICKY WEJKO SOCIAL MEDIA CHAIR
FUND DEVELOPMENT UPDATE
Chair - Jamie Martin
Members - Catherine Cirabisi-Kissel, Julia Kane, Brittany Moen, and Emily Wheeler
Who are we? Jamie and Emily joined the league in the 2024-2025 league year, while Brittany has been active since the Spring of 2018, Julia since the Fall of 2018, and Catherine since the Fall of 2022.
Together we worked with the Holiday Shoppes team to create another amazing event. Kimber Doolittle, Francesa DiMura, and Sarah Serbern did a fantastic job this year! Annual appeal letters went out for giving Tuesday and we hope you are able to make a contribution before the end of the year! We hope to expand the annual appeal process next year to more than just our members so we can make a bigger impact!
Looking into the Spring of 2026 here is what’s ahead:
We will be giving out our Annual Scholarship to a woman in the CNY community. A night at the Crunch, raising funds through Chuck-A-Puck. Mark your calendars for Saturday February 21st! We will need volunteers to help us work the event, and please bring your friends and family!
Hoping to be hosting a GMM and fund raising opportunity in March - we will keep you updated!
We are always exploring sponsorship and grant opportunities, please approach someone on fund development if you have connections or ideas!
Thanks,
The Fund Development Committee
JOIN US FOR A NIGHT OF FUN WITH THE SYRACUSE CRUNCH!
The Junior League of Syracuse is excited to partner with the Syracuse Crunch for a special fundraiser on Saturday, February 21. This spirited evening of community and hockey will feature the always-popular Chuck-a-Puck event an opportunity for fans to purchase a puck, send it soaring onto the ice, and compete for a prize by landing closest to the target.
It’s simple, it’s lively, and yes… it’s exactly the kind of wholesome chaos we adore.
Even better, The Junior League of Syracuse will receive 90% of all puck sales. Your participation directly supports our mission to advance women’s leadership and create meaningful community impact throughout Central New York.
We’d love to see our members, families, and friends filling the stands for a memorable night of hockey and philanthropy Let’s show Syracuse how the League shows up enthusiastically, generously, an
Purchase your tickets here: www.syracusecrunch.com/JuniorLeague
SUSTAINER NEWS
Mary Schalk, Anne Miller and Patti Giancola organized the Short Game Clinic and Lunch at Butternuts Creek Golf Course, Home of the First Tee on August 21. We had delicious salads while learning about First Tee which enables kids to build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges. By seamlessly integrating the game of golf with life skills curriculum, First Tee creates learning experiences that build inner strength, self-confidence, and resilience that kids carry to everything they do. Then sustainers learned and practiced new short game skills with golf pro Matt Trendall.
On September 24th, 2025 some sustainers played golf and then joined others for dinner at the Cavalry Club. The lovely buffet had something for everyone and the golf setting was wonderful. Many thanks to Anne Miller for again organizing this fun and tasty JLS Annual Sustainer & Active Dinner & Optional Golf for sustainers to socialize, play golf and learn a little about what JLS Actives are doing this year.
In October Sustainers collected 2,509 diapers and 3,972 wipes for the CNY Diaper Bank. Many thanks to the following sustainers who had bins on their porches and took diapers/wipes to the CNY Diaper Bank: Maudie Ritchie, Barb Stratton, Karen Sparkes, Cheryl Ward, Sue Lowitz, Kitty Bersani, Sally Pearson, Jon Winslow (for Judy Winslow) and Terri Russo. A staggering 41% of Syracuse City children under 5 live in poverty according to the CNY Diaper Bank.
The festive and fun Holiday Shoppes could not have happened without the many sustainers who volunteered their time for putting together the raffle booth, working the JLS booth and raffle booth besides helping decorate. Sustainers volunteering for the Holiday Shoppes include: Betsy Marriotte-McLane, Maria Miller, Caroln Souser, Michelle Alexander, Diane Steckel, Addie Silvia, Cheryl Saidel, Marie Norkett, Barb Stratton, Kate Zwecker, Julie Garcia, Sheryl Capozzi, Terri Russo, Eileen Krell, Karen Matticio, Jennifer Sandoff, Wendy Sawyer, Barb Benedict, LouAnn Christo, Joan Ferrara, and Whitney Browne Some did multiple shifts
December brought pie making which was organized by Jenny Jackson Donahoe. The 21st annual Sustainer Pie Making event was December 6th, 10am at St. David's Church Community Room. A very special thank you to Shiela Corbishley, the powerhouse behind this fun & rewarding event. After 20 successful years, and over 1000 pies made and donated, Shiela Corbishley has passed down her wisdom, organization and supply bins in anticipation of her new grandbaby who arrived in early December Pies go to the Samaritan Center.
Sustainer Book Club and Thursday Mah Jongg groups have continued throughout the Fall.
Stay tuned for the next part of the JLS year. Wishing all a very happy holiday season.
