WEBVTT 00:00:09.020 --> 00:00:13.119 First of all, I'd like to thank Ed Wiley with 00:00:13.119 --> 00:00:15.800 our hotel here, Marriott Downtown Circus. Let's 00:00:15.800 --> 00:00:19.800 hear it for Ed and the staff. I see Lindsay and 00:00:19.800 --> 00:00:24.739 they do a great job. And this is a special year 00:00:24.739 --> 00:00:26.839 for us. It's going to be our seventh edition. 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:30.519 It's just amazing. We want to thank the New York 00:00:30.519 --> 00:00:33.859 State Fair. We've been holding it in the Expo 00:00:33.859 --> 00:00:37.240 Center that's over 100 ,000 square feet. It is 00:00:37.240 --> 00:00:41.740 a great facility. We pack it with rides and entertainment 00:00:41.740 --> 00:00:46.759 and food. It's more summer fun into the winter. 00:00:47.100 --> 00:00:49.979 Something very unique. We want to attract people 00:00:49.979 --> 00:00:53.179 from all over, not only from Central New York, 00:00:53.280 --> 00:00:55.560 but New York State and out of state and such. 00:00:55.789 --> 00:00:57.630 And we'll give you some details how we're going 00:00:57.630 --> 00:01:01.310 to be able to do that. But we're also doing a 00:01:01.310 --> 00:01:04.909 theme this year, which will be about look to 00:01:04.909 --> 00:01:08.390 the children. All of our daytime activities will 00:01:08.390 --> 00:01:11.590 be centered around students ranging from elementary 00:01:11.590 --> 00:01:15.569 school up through college. And we'll give you 00:01:15.569 --> 00:01:18.609 some details on that. But before I really get 00:01:18.609 --> 00:01:22.450 underway, I want to let you know that we're dedicating 00:01:24.090 --> 00:01:29.349 our Syracuse Winter Fair 2026 to the Honorable 00:01:29.349 --> 00:01:38.250 Van D. Robinson. Let's hear for Van. Van was 00:01:38.250 --> 00:01:41.349 very instrumental in helping us get off the ground 00:01:41.349 --> 00:01:45.290 with the idea and such. We will have the Van 00:01:45.290 --> 00:01:48.829 Robinson Pan -African Village there and I want 00:01:48.829 --> 00:01:53.689 to bring up his wife who was right by his side 00:01:53.689 --> 00:01:58.790 all through these years, and she is also the 00:01:58.790 --> 00:02:02.250 NAACP Western Region Director. I'd like to bring 00:02:02.250 --> 00:02:05.269 up Linda Brown Robinson. Let's hear it for her. 00:02:06.349 --> 00:02:10.150 Good morning, everyone. Good morning. Okay, let's 00:02:10.150 --> 00:02:18.969 hear it for Steve. So when I prepared this, because 00:02:18.969 --> 00:02:22.400 I'm old and halfway blind, I should have made 00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:24.419 the font bigger, so you're going to have to bear 00:02:24.419 --> 00:02:28.620 with me. So as we all know, Steve is an advocate 00:02:28.620 --> 00:02:32.120 and an entrepreneur for this community. And Steve 00:02:32.120 --> 00:02:35.300 really does all he can for this community. Even 00:02:35.300 --> 00:02:39.000 without being asked, he still does it. So when 00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:43.780 did I got to know Steve? How many years ago? 00:02:45.340 --> 00:02:47.879 Many years ago. Let's put it that way. Probably 00:02:47.879 --> 00:02:53.710 too many to count. And so because of our activism, 00:02:54.370 --> 00:02:59.270 it was an easy fit to support Winter Fair, which 00:02:59.270 --> 00:03:01.969 is an extension of the New York State Fair. So 00:03:01.969 --> 00:03:06.750 as most of you know, back when then Governor 00:03:06.750 --> 00:03:11.330 Cuomo was our governor, he committed and dedicated 00:03:11.330 --> 00:03:14.750 the Pan -African Village to be Van Robinson's 00:03:14.750 --> 00:03:18.469 Pan -African Village. And so moving forward, 00:03:18.650 --> 00:03:21.689 our current governor... rededicated that to be 00:03:21.689 --> 00:03:26.169 Van Robinson's Pan -African Village. Van and 00:03:26.169 --> 00:03:29.969 I got here in 68 and we never stopped working 00:03:29.969 --> 00:03:33.810 in this community. So it was such an easy fit 00:03:33.810 --> 00:03:38.090 when Steve asked me to make a few remarks. I 00:03:38.090 --> 00:03:41.169 didn't have to make up anything because Steve 00:03:41.169 --> 00:03:46.449 is truly, truly a committed and dedicated community 00:03:46.449 --> 00:03:50.539 servant. He does things without ever being asked. 00:03:51.560 --> 00:03:54.780 So Steve, I think the whole entire community 00:03:54.780 --> 00:03:57.979 is humbled and proud that you do all of this 00:03:57.979 --> 00:04:03.199 for your community. So that's what Van and I 00:04:03.199 --> 00:04:06.539 wanted to do, always assist Steve in helping 00:04:06.539 --> 00:04:09.120 him to realize his dreams for this community. 00:04:10.300 --> 00:04:14.520 So we're all in but the queues. Can you go fishing? 00:04:15.460 --> 00:04:18.920 Can you eat candy cotton? jump on these little 00:04:18.920 --> 00:04:21.439 bouncy things that I would probably kill myself, 00:04:23.079 --> 00:04:27.259 but at Winter Fair. So when Steve thought of 00:04:27.259 --> 00:04:29.360 this idea, and I don't even know how the brainstorm 00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:33.639 came about, it's not important, but it came about, 00:04:34.100 --> 00:04:37.420 and so where else can you go to support the community, 00:04:37.699 --> 00:04:41.480 which he does in every aspect. I was a former 00:04:41.480 --> 00:04:44.120 board member for the Boys and Girls Club, and 00:04:44.120 --> 00:04:51.949 so. And so I know all the good Steve did for 00:04:51.949 --> 00:04:54.810 the Boys and Girls Club and every other community 00:04:54.810 --> 00:04:58.149 organization. Steve gives his whole, his heart. 00:04:58.629 --> 00:05:00.930 And so thank you Steve for being our community 00:05:00.930 --> 00:05:03.449 advocate. Thank you for honoring Van and myself. 00:05:04.009 --> 00:05:06.910 We would do it anyway because that's just who 00:05:06.910 --> 00:05:09.610 we are. You know, we were taught to give back. 00:05:10.009 --> 00:05:13.189 So Steve, thank you very much. And let's make 00:05:13.189 --> 00:05:17.569 this Winter Fair best and more best. Not good 00:05:17.569 --> 00:05:19.769 English. My mother's probably going to slap me. 00:05:19.769 --> 00:05:22.629 But we're going to make this. And where's Alan? 00:05:24.230 --> 00:05:26.649 Is he here? Is your partner here? Yeah. Alan? 00:05:28.290 --> 00:05:30.750 Thank you as well. Because you get left out of 00:05:30.750 --> 00:05:32.569 this equation. Come on up here. You need to stand 00:05:32.569 --> 00:05:35.930 here. This is Steve's partner. So thank you so 00:05:35.930 --> 00:05:41.800 much. OK. And so support this. Talk about it 00:05:41.800 --> 00:05:44.480 in the community because our youth, and he supports 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:46.720 our youth, you have to talk about it in the community. 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:49.699 Talk it up, talk it loud, talk it proud. Thank 00:05:49.699 --> 00:05:52.420 you, Steve. Thank you. Let's hear it for Wendell 00:05:52.420 --> 00:05:57.160 Brown Robinson. Thank you. And I'd also like 00:05:57.160 --> 00:06:00.060 to acknowledge Mike Atkins. Mike was the chief 00:06:00.060 --> 00:06:02.839 of staff with Vam through the years, and he's 00:06:02.839 --> 00:06:06.620 been also very supportive of the Syracuse Winter 00:06:06.620 --> 00:06:08.699 Fair. Thank you, Mike. Let's hear it for Mike 00:06:08.699 --> 00:06:13.850 Atkins. Now we've been getting great support 00:06:13.850 --> 00:06:18.069 from the state county and local as well as city 00:06:18.069 --> 00:06:22.589 of surges and You've been out there a few times 00:06:22.589 --> 00:06:26.889 senator. I think you were a judge on one of the 00:06:26.889 --> 00:06:30.110 You know one of the competitions who were doing 00:06:30.110 --> 00:06:32.810 and we really appreciate your support. I'd like 00:06:32.810 --> 00:06:41.509 to introduce state senator Rachel May How wonderful 00:06:41.509 --> 00:06:44.810 to be dedicating this to Anna. That is so appropriate. 00:06:45.290 --> 00:06:48.009 I just want to say, Steve does amazing things 00:06:48.009 --> 00:06:51.689 for this community, but this winter fair, if 00:06:51.689 --> 00:06:54.730 you love Syracuse, you get really tired of people 00:06:54.730 --> 00:06:57.170 saying, oh, yeah, Syracuse is nice, but the winters 00:06:57.170 --> 00:06:59.850 are awful. And I don't think that. I actually 00:06:59.850 --> 00:07:03.410 love winter. But Steve is instrumental in making 00:07:03.410 --> 00:07:05.889 more people love winter, making winter be something 00:07:05.889 --> 00:07:09.149 people can look forward to. you know, making 00:07:09.149 --> 00:07:11.110 sure that there are indoor activities as well 00:07:11.110 --> 00:07:13.170 as outdoor activities here in the winter. So 00:07:13.170 --> 00:07:16.930 I really appreciate that. I did get to judge 00:07:16.930 --> 00:07:20.610 a cheering competition, I think it was a few 00:07:20.610 --> 00:07:23.269 years ago. It was really fun. I recommend people 00:07:23.269 --> 00:07:26.089 volunteer to do these things because there's 00:07:26.089 --> 00:07:29.629 a lot going on there and you get to know all 00:07:29.629 --> 00:07:31.310 kinds of things going on in the community that 00:07:31.310 --> 00:07:34.560 you might never have known about. I applaud you 00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:37.800 for seven years of doing this and can't wait 00:07:37.800 --> 00:07:41.500 to see how exciting this one is. And just the 00:07:41.500 --> 00:07:48.500 best of luck. Thank you very much. We also like 00:07:48.500 --> 00:07:52.040 to thank State Senator Chris Ryan. He's been 00:07:52.040 --> 00:07:55.379 very supportive as well. And we have our other 00:07:55.379 --> 00:07:58.480 assembly members. I see Matt Jones here representing 00:07:58.480 --> 00:08:03.639 Pam Hunter, Bill Magnarelli. We have Dan, Dan, 00:08:03.839 --> 00:08:05.740 where are you? There he is in the back and of 00:08:05.740 --> 00:08:09.180 course we have Al Sturpey. But I will tell you, 00:08:09.240 --> 00:08:11.839 one of the goals that we have for Winter Fair 00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:16.060 is to bring people not only to the city of Syracuse, 00:08:16.399 --> 00:08:20.240 but to Onondaga County. It is amazing what's 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:24.540 happening here and I have to dedicate a song 00:08:24.540 --> 00:08:28.600 to our county executive. When I was on the radio 00:08:28.600 --> 00:08:32.100 as stereo Steve, I used to play this song. by 00:08:32.100 --> 00:08:36.059 Timbuk3 called, the future is bright. I gotta 00:08:36.059 --> 00:08:40.559 wear shades. And I wanna say he does a great 00:08:40.559 --> 00:08:44.700 job of obviously being a visionary. I'd like 00:08:44.700 --> 00:08:48.600 to introduce our county executive, Ryan McMahon. 00:08:48.940 --> 00:08:55.200 Let's hear it for Ryan. Good morning everyone 00:08:55.200 --> 00:08:57.940 and certainly it's good to be here. This is such 00:08:57.940 --> 00:09:00.809 a beautiful hotel. And if you think about the 00:09:00.809 --> 00:09:04.090 comeback of this community and when it really 00:09:04.090 --> 00:09:06.990 started it was when this hotel came back online 00:09:06.990 --> 00:09:10.590 which allowed us to continue to reinvest in downtown 00:09:10.590 --> 00:09:14.970 to continue to grow. So it's really fitting that 00:09:14.970 --> 00:09:17.509 these types of announcements are here. So Steve, 00:09:17.529 --> 00:09:20.090 thanks for doing that. Linda, it's so good to 00:09:20.090 --> 00:09:24.029 see you and we love you and we love Van. And 00:09:24.029 --> 00:09:27.710 you know something about Van? You know someone's 00:09:27.710 --> 00:09:33.309 really... good guy or a good good girl if everybody 00:09:33.309 --> 00:09:36.870 wants to kind of have like a piece of that a 00:09:36.870 --> 00:09:40.730 piece of that memory and I'm no different you 00:09:40.730 --> 00:09:42.669 know this we served together on the City Council 00:09:42.669 --> 00:09:44.990 when I was a young guy and he was such a great 00:09:44.990 --> 00:09:47.950 mentor and so this is fitting that we can continue 00:09:47.950 --> 00:09:51.269 to remember him daily and so this is so nice 00:09:51.269 --> 00:09:54.379 thanks Steve for doing that. for our friend Van 00:09:54.379 --> 00:09:57.039 and I saw some great SU former athletes around 00:09:57.039 --> 00:10:01.360 here over here in the corner here and I saw Drummond 00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:04.059 and Bowie and you know that's that's that's cool 00:10:04.059 --> 00:10:07.000 these guys are great and as a kid you looked 00:10:07.000 --> 00:10:09.799 up and saw them play but I think what Steve's 00:10:09.799 --> 00:10:12.639 doing is important and I think the senator referenced 00:10:12.639 --> 00:10:14.779 you know we have four seasons in this community 00:10:14.779 --> 00:10:19.080 and you need to embrace that you can't hide or 00:10:19.080 --> 00:10:23.200 run from that and I think overall What we also 00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:26.259 know is not everybody likes to embrace Four Seasons 00:10:26.259 --> 00:10:31.139 outdoors. And so what a great way to celebrate 00:10:31.139 --> 00:10:34.799 Four Seasons and get people back together utilizing 00:10:34.799 --> 00:10:36.639 the entertainment infrastructure we have in the 00:10:36.639 --> 00:10:38.379 community. And Steve, you and your team put on 00:10:38.379 --> 00:10:40.500 a great show. I know you'll put on a great show 00:10:40.500 --> 00:10:42.620 here. And I think the other thing, too, that 00:10:42.620 --> 00:10:44.080 I always like to talk about when we have events 00:10:44.080 --> 00:10:49.440 like this is how the money works. You know, in 00:10:49.440 --> 00:10:52.360 county government, in city government. The only 00:10:52.360 --> 00:10:55.600 growing form of revenue, unless you raise property 00:10:55.600 --> 00:10:58.399 taxes, which quite frankly politicians don't 00:10:58.399 --> 00:11:00.799 like to do, right, that's us taking more money 00:11:00.799 --> 00:11:04.500 out of your pocket, is sales tax, economic activity. 00:11:05.019 --> 00:11:07.759 So the more you can capture spending that exists 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:11.019 here in the community, and the more you can bring 00:11:11.019 --> 00:11:13.980 people into the community to spend money, that 00:11:13.980 --> 00:11:17.970 pays for all of the services and programs. that 00:11:17.970 --> 00:11:21.029 people want us to invest in, right? And so this 00:11:21.029 --> 00:11:23.169 is another great piece, another great event that 00:11:23.169 --> 00:11:25.850 will help drive more economic activity here in 00:11:25.850 --> 00:11:28.309 Onondaga County. So congratulations, everybody. 00:11:28.490 --> 00:11:31.149 Please participate and Steve, great job. Thank 00:11:31.149 --> 00:11:39.210 you. Again, let's hear it for Onondaga County 00:11:39.210 --> 00:11:42.970 Executive Ryan McMahon. Thank you so much. And 00:11:42.970 --> 00:11:46.309 we also have, like I said, the support of the 00:11:46.309 --> 00:11:50.090 members. in the assembly as well. City of Syracuse 00:11:50.090 --> 00:11:54.769 has always been great working with Mayor Ben 00:11:54.769 --> 00:11:59.909 Walsh and we do know our incoming mayor which 00:11:59.909 --> 00:12:04.470 is Sharon Owens and Sharon would have been here 00:12:04.470 --> 00:12:08.850 but she is in New York City right now. So I want 00:12:08.850 --> 00:12:11.509 to bring up somebody who has been out to Winter 00:12:11.509 --> 00:12:16.750 Fair a few times. He is the most active Common 00:12:16.750 --> 00:12:21.210 counselor, city counselor for the city of Syracuse, 00:12:21.450 --> 00:12:28.850 Marty Navi. Let's hear it for Marty. So this 00:12:28.850 --> 00:12:32.850 is one of my pleasures. And it's special because 00:12:32.850 --> 00:12:35.929 we're honoring Van. And as you know, Van was 00:12:35.929 --> 00:12:40.830 very insistent of taking down 81. So a brief 00:12:40.830 --> 00:12:44.690 story. One day I was walking into VisionWorks. 00:12:44.779 --> 00:12:49.279 good eyeglasses. And Van is leaving. Van and 00:12:49.279 --> 00:12:52.299 I end up having a big discussion in the foyer 00:12:52.299 --> 00:12:55.139 of VisionWorks. If people are coming in and out, 00:12:55.320 --> 00:12:57.120 him and I were having a discussion right in the 00:12:57.120 --> 00:13:00.820 foyer of VisionWorks about I -81. That is the 00:13:00.820 --> 00:13:03.620 one thing I remember about Van, his passion. 00:13:04.279 --> 00:13:06.580 And it's wonderful that we are honoring him. 00:13:07.799 --> 00:13:11.580 And someone is missing here. Someone who should 00:13:11.580 --> 00:13:15.330 be here is not here. And I think of Lawrence 00:13:15.330 --> 00:13:19.830 Moulton. Lawrence Moulton. It's a terrible shame 00:13:19.830 --> 00:13:22.629 that we lost Lawrence this year at such a young 00:13:22.629 --> 00:13:27.590 age. He was such, so passionate of our community. 00:13:28.909 --> 00:13:31.049 And it made his memory always be a blessing to 00:13:31.049 --> 00:13:34.830 all of us for what he did for our community. 00:13:34.830 --> 00:13:37.450 He didn't want to just shoot hoops. He was one 00:13:37.450 --> 00:13:40.570 of our greatest assets. And he engaged with our 00:13:40.570 --> 00:13:46.639 young people. I do want to... comment that I've 00:13:46.639 --> 00:13:48.799 enjoyed Winter Fair. This is the only place where 00:13:48.799 --> 00:13:52.360 we could go. Maybe the temperatures will go in 00:13:52.360 --> 00:13:55.500 the 70s. I hear that last weekend. It's going 00:13:55.500 --> 00:13:59.500 to be in the 70s, I hear. We hope. But it brings 00:13:59.500 --> 00:14:01.759 people together. And this is one of our greatest 00:14:01.759 --> 00:14:07.799 assets. And I hope the reindeer will be out there. 00:14:08.120 --> 00:14:10.720 OK, so we got the reindeer. You're going to decorate 00:14:10.720 --> 00:14:14.000 them. So we have a lot of post Christmas. But 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:16.799 thank you for inviting me here. This is one of 00:14:16.799 --> 00:14:18.879 our greatest assets we have in our community. 00:14:19.379 --> 00:14:21.940 And it's an honor for me to represent the city 00:14:21.940 --> 00:14:27.399 of Syracuse. Thank you, Steve. Thank you. Thank 00:14:27.399 --> 00:14:37.059 you again, Marty. Is Daniel Mahoney here? Hey, 00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:43.909 Dan. Well, we have a brand new winter fair state 00:14:43.909 --> 00:14:48.789 sponsor. You ever hear of Destiny USA? They are 00:14:48.789 --> 00:14:51.649 coming on board and I have to bring up Daniel 00:14:51.649 --> 00:14:54.830 Mahoney who's working in marketing and he's going 00:14:54.830 --> 00:14:58.370 to say a few words about how this will be a great 00:14:58.370 --> 00:15:01.269 partnership between Destiny and Syracuse Winter 00:15:01.269 --> 00:15:09.600 Fair 2026. Let's hear it for Daniel. Good morning, 00:15:09.600 --> 00:15:13.240 everybody. My name is Dan. I'm from Destiny USA. 00:15:13.740 --> 00:15:15.419 I just want to say we're super excited to partner 00:15:15.419 --> 00:15:17.820 for the first time with the Winter Fair. I think 00:15:17.820 --> 00:15:19.700 that the Winter Fair really showcases what makes 00:15:19.700 --> 00:15:21.879 the city so special, because we have so many 00:15:21.879 --> 00:15:23.879 great people and members of the community coming 00:15:23.879 --> 00:15:25.960 together, especially during the cold winter months, 00:15:26.340 --> 00:15:27.659 where everyone's looking for something fun to 00:15:27.659 --> 00:15:29.659 do. It shines a really great light on the city 00:15:29.659 --> 00:15:33.360 of Syracuse. We're super proud to support the 00:15:33.360 --> 00:15:35.720 event that celebrates the family -friendly fun. 00:15:35.929 --> 00:15:38.669 not only in Destiny, but anywhere in the city. 00:15:39.230 --> 00:15:42.009 We really like to support all that the city has 00:15:42.009 --> 00:15:43.490 to offer. So I just want to say thank you so 00:15:43.490 --> 00:15:45.509 much for having me. And we're super excited to 00:15:45.509 --> 00:15:54.269 support this year. I believe destiny has something 00:15:54.269 --> 00:15:58.210 going on tomorrow in the morning. Another press 00:15:58.210 --> 00:16:02.970 conference at 9 45. You ever hear of IKEA? They're 00:16:02.970 --> 00:16:06.450 going to be opening up. So We'll definitely hope 00:16:06.450 --> 00:16:08.870 people will be coming out for that. That is special, 00:16:09.029 --> 00:16:12.029 and we want to thank Destiny USA for being a 00:16:12.029 --> 00:16:17.350 part of this. Next person I called up is working 00:16:17.350 --> 00:16:21.389 with AmeriQ Charity Foundation, and they've been 00:16:21.389 --> 00:16:24.190 involved. Their CEO and president, Ron Bell, 00:16:24.330 --> 00:16:27.690 has been very supportive. I'd like to bring up 00:16:27.690 --> 00:16:37.769 Vanessa Shewipka. Good morning everyone. I just 00:16:37.769 --> 00:16:39.909 want to start off by saying on behalf of AmeriQ 00:16:39.909 --> 00:16:42.990 Credit Union, thank you to Steve for being the 00:16:42.990 --> 00:16:45.450 driving force of the Winter Fair and a lot of 00:16:45.450 --> 00:16:47.549 folks have talked about the long relationships 00:16:47.549 --> 00:16:49.250 they've had, but I've just gotten to know Steve 00:16:49.250 --> 00:16:52.470 recently and it's been a pleasure to chit chat 00:16:52.470 --> 00:16:54.830 and talk about, you know, how the Winter Fair 00:16:54.830 --> 00:16:57.269 came to be and why it's so incredibly important 00:16:57.269 --> 00:17:00.190 to our community. But the Winter Fair is much 00:17:00.190 --> 00:17:03.179 more than just an event. and the word fair has 00:17:03.179 --> 00:17:05.680 some pretty significant meaning in this community 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:08.619 when you think fair you think top -notch entertainment 00:17:08.619 --> 00:17:12.299 you think about delicious local food and of course 00:17:12.299 --> 00:17:15.160 being family friendly so thank you for bringing 00:17:15.160 --> 00:17:18.059 this important event to our community and the 00:17:18.059 --> 00:17:21.140 word connection to americu has very deep meaning 00:17:21.140 --> 00:17:23.920 it's part of who we are we love connecting with 00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:26.259 our members we love connecting with our communities 00:17:26.259 --> 00:17:29.240 and this is our 75th anniversary so we're really 00:17:29.240 --> 00:17:31.880 proud to step up and be celebrating this with 00:17:31.880 --> 00:17:35.420 the community. The Winter Fair is a true celebration 00:17:35.420 --> 00:17:39.579 of connection, of family, of fun, and really 00:17:39.579 --> 00:17:42.559 it shows what makes Central New York and Syracuse 00:17:42.559 --> 00:17:45.259 such a wonderful place to live, work, and play. 00:17:46.359 --> 00:17:48.859 We're proud to once again support this event 00:17:48.859 --> 00:17:50.940 and try to make it just a little bit easier for 00:17:50.940 --> 00:17:54.259 families visiting. to provide free parking courtesy 00:17:54.259 --> 00:17:57.140 of Ameri -Q Credit Union. We look forward to 00:17:57.140 --> 00:17:59.460 the community coming together, having fun and 00:17:59.460 --> 00:18:02.599 making memories for the 2026 Winter Fair. Thank 00:18:02.599 --> 00:18:14.180 you. And we have another new sponsor. We usually 00:18:14.180 --> 00:18:17.279 like to do a health care village as well. Very 00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:20.799 supportive of getting information into people's 00:18:20.799 --> 00:18:25.480 hands. of taking care of our health. And I want 00:18:25.480 --> 00:18:31.119 to bring her up right now, Latoya. And she is 00:18:31.119 --> 00:18:37.019 the director of Lead Safe CY Coalition with the 00:18:37.019 --> 00:18:45.279 United Way. Latoya Jones, come on up. Good morning, 00:18:45.299 --> 00:18:47.759 everybody. I just want to say first, thank you 00:18:47.759 --> 00:18:50.410 to Steve for his continued partnership. with 00:18:50.410 --> 00:18:53.589 Let's Safe CNY Coalition and prior to me coming 00:18:53.589 --> 00:18:56.829 into this role. I'm honored to be here today 00:18:56.829 --> 00:18:59.829 on behalf of the Coalition as the Healthcare 00:18:59.829 --> 00:19:02.150 Village sponsor for this year's New York State 00:19:02.150 --> 00:19:05.369 Winter Fair. This partnership represents something 00:19:05.369 --> 00:19:08.809 truly special, a shared commitment to the health, 00:19:08.930 --> 00:19:11.950 safety, and future of our central New York families. 00:19:12.430 --> 00:19:15.650 At Let's Safe CNY Coalition, our strategy is 00:19:15.650 --> 00:19:19.059 simple but powerful. to protect children from 00:19:19.059 --> 00:19:21.980 lead exposure and create healthier homes and 00:19:21.980 --> 00:19:24.859 communities. But we know this mission isn't something 00:19:24.859 --> 00:19:28.740 anyone organization can accomplish alone. Protecting 00:19:28.740 --> 00:19:31.420 children from lead exposure is a shared mission 00:19:31.420 --> 00:19:34.619 that knows no city limits. Lead poisoning doesn't 00:19:34.619 --> 00:19:37.579 stop at a border, a zip code, or a neighborhood 00:19:37.579 --> 00:19:40.900 line. It affects families across every community, 00:19:41.380 --> 00:19:44.420 city, town, and village. That's why awareness 00:19:44.420 --> 00:19:47.240 and prevention are so critical. When we bring 00:19:47.240 --> 00:19:49.819 partners together from public health, housing 00:19:49.819 --> 00:19:53.200 and education and community organizations, we 00:19:53.200 --> 00:19:56.319 create real change. We are proud to partner with 00:19:56.319 --> 00:19:58.779 Steve Becker and the New York State Winter Fair 00:19:58.779 --> 00:20:02.119 and the ongoing advocacy to raise awareness about 00:20:02.119 --> 00:20:05.339 lead poisoning prevention. The Winter Fair brings 00:20:05.339 --> 00:20:08.920 people from all walks of life together and that's 00:20:08.920 --> 00:20:11.700 exactly where the message belongs, right in the 00:20:11.700 --> 00:20:14.200 heart of our community. Through the Healthcare 00:20:14.200 --> 00:20:16.940 Village, we're connecting families with information, 00:20:17.420 --> 00:20:19.940 resources, and tools they need to keep their 00:20:19.940 --> 00:20:22.819 homes and children safe. We're empowering parents 00:20:22.819 --> 00:20:25.940 to ask questions, check their homes, and take 00:20:25.940 --> 00:20:28.799 preventive steps. And we're reminding everyone 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:32.039 that lead poisoning is 100 % preventable, but 00:20:32.039 --> 00:20:35.779 only if we do our part. So as we gather here 00:20:35.779 --> 00:20:38.940 together to announce Winter Fair, let's also 00:20:38.940 --> 00:20:42.299 celebrate the power of coalition, partnerships, 00:20:42.519 --> 00:20:45.420 and the ideal that when public health advocates, 00:20:45.980 --> 00:20:48.940 community leaders, and neighbors unite around 00:20:48.940 --> 00:20:52.099 a common purpose, we can build brighter, safer 00:20:52.099 --> 00:20:59.779 futures for every child. Thank you. Thank you, 00:20:59.799 --> 00:21:05.640 LaJoya. We introduced something last year that 00:21:05.640 --> 00:21:09.319 was very, very special that, believe it or not, 00:21:10.299 --> 00:21:14.089 has never been to the fairgrounds before, reindeers. 00:21:14.650 --> 00:21:18.990 We had live reindeers, two of them this past 00:21:18.990 --> 00:21:22.849 year, and they're coming back again. And we want 00:21:22.849 --> 00:21:28.109 to thank Matt Mauser with Growth Mode Technologies 00:21:28.109 --> 00:21:32.509 for sponsoring that. But he also kicked off something 00:21:32.509 --> 00:21:36.190 very special. He does a special podcast called 00:21:36.190 --> 00:21:40.769 Good News York. It's all positive. He's talking 00:21:40.769 --> 00:21:44.490 about what a great community we have. And I want 00:21:44.490 --> 00:21:47.150 to bring up Matt right now, because we're going 00:21:47.150 --> 00:21:49.529 to be doing some more things out at Winter Fair 00:21:49.529 --> 00:21:52.130 this year. Let's hear it for Matt. Thanks, Steve. 00:21:54.789 --> 00:21:57.730 Good morning. My name's Matt Major. This is my 00:21:57.730 --> 00:22:00.569 co -host, the state's biggest Bills fan, Mike 00:22:00.569 --> 00:22:05.630 Brindisi. And as Steve mentioned, we have a content 00:22:05.630 --> 00:22:07.990 business. And last year at Winter Fair, we kicked 00:22:07.990 --> 00:22:12.359 off this podcast called Good News York. Exclusively 00:22:12.359 --> 00:22:15.279 good news. No crime, no controversy, no politics. 00:22:15.759 --> 00:22:18.319 Just great stories about people all over New 00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:21.519 York State. Fun things to do, cool businesses, 00:22:21.640 --> 00:22:24.660 new jobs, all kinds of things like that. We kicked 00:22:24.660 --> 00:22:26.900 it off at Winterfair and that was only about 00:22:26.900 --> 00:22:30.390 10 months ago now. And since that time, the podcast 00:22:30.390 --> 00:22:33.109 has reached millions and millions of views across 00:22:33.109 --> 00:22:35.410 all the social media channels. We've interviewed 00:22:35.410 --> 00:22:38.230 folks from the county executive and the senator 00:22:38.230 --> 00:22:41.250 who were just here onto rock stars. And next 00:22:41.250 --> 00:22:43.630 week, we're even going to talk to a WWE wrestler. 00:22:44.130 --> 00:22:47.809 So it's quite the gamut. But it's been an incredible 00:22:47.809 --> 00:22:50.589 thing. And like I said, millions of people have 00:22:50.589 --> 00:22:53.490 watched this. And we think we're doing our good 00:22:53.490 --> 00:22:56.269 part to spread positivity. The other thing that's 00:22:56.269 --> 00:22:59.490 helped us kick off is a major expansion of our 00:22:59.490 --> 00:23:02.009 content business. And we announced just a week 00:23:02.009 --> 00:23:05.430 or so ago that we are moving to a massive new 00:23:05.430 --> 00:23:07.390 spot in downtown Syracuse. We're going to have 00:23:07.390 --> 00:23:10.869 a 17 ,000 square foot content creation studio. 00:23:11.210 --> 00:23:14.910 It will be one of the most unique resources for 00:23:14.970 --> 00:23:18.049 content creation, online video, podcasting you'll 00:23:18.049 --> 00:23:19.730 find anywhere in the country. So we're really 00:23:19.730 --> 00:23:22.710 excited about that. Winterfair and helping us 00:23:22.710 --> 00:23:24.690 kick off these efforts is a big part of it. So 00:23:24.690 --> 00:23:26.990 we're really excited to be back. We'll be doing 00:23:26.990 --> 00:23:30.390 all kinds of sort of in -person podcasting at 00:23:30.390 --> 00:23:33.250 the event and really just having a good time. 00:23:33.549 --> 00:23:35.910 It's the most fun. My kids love this event every 00:23:35.910 --> 00:23:37.490 year. They've already been asking me about it. 00:23:37.670 --> 00:23:40.089 When are we going to Winterfair? So very excited 00:23:40.089 --> 00:23:42.299 to be a part of it. Thank you so much, Steve, 00:23:42.519 --> 00:23:44.779 for having us there. And anybody who wants to 00:23:44.779 --> 00:23:47.099 check out anything that we've got going on, starting 00:23:47.099 --> 00:23:50.480 with that first episode at Winter Fair, goodnewsyork 00:23:50.480 --> 00:23:54.079 .com is the place to do that. So thank you, Steve. 00:23:54.259 --> 00:24:01.019 Thank you. We have one more speaker I want to 00:24:01.019 --> 00:24:05.539 pick up on. And we always like to raise funds 00:24:05.539 --> 00:24:11.029 at Winter Fair. We have the NAACP. They will 00:24:11.029 --> 00:24:14.910 be raising money through our code check. And 00:24:14.910 --> 00:24:18.990 I see Gwen here. Hi, Gwen. And of course, Linda. 00:24:20.750 --> 00:24:25.069 So there is a main fundraiser that we've been 00:24:25.069 --> 00:24:28.910 doing. We've raised over $15 ,000 for them. And 00:24:28.910 --> 00:24:32.369 that is the Boys and Girls Clubs of Syracuse. 00:24:32.930 --> 00:24:36.250 Now Jenny normally would have been here, but 00:24:36.250 --> 00:24:39.390 she had been called away. I want to bring up 00:24:39.390 --> 00:24:42.710 James Hasty, who will speak for the Boys and 00:24:42.710 --> 00:24:46.289 Girls Clubs of Syracuse. And I also like to bring 00:24:46.289 --> 00:24:51.329 up Roosevelt, Bowie, and Rob Drummond to come 00:24:51.329 --> 00:25:12.619 up as well. Let's hear it for them. Well, you 00:25:12.619 --> 00:25:15.859 say Syracuse, and my heart starts beating fast. 00:25:16.319 --> 00:25:18.380 I was an 18 -year -old kid from Kendall, New 00:25:18.380 --> 00:25:23.660 York. And this guy's name, Jim Beheim, came out 00:25:23.660 --> 00:25:25.779 to my school and gave me to come to Syracuse. 00:25:26.779 --> 00:25:28.920 And at that time, I was coming here to go to 00:25:28.920 --> 00:25:32.619 university, and I became a huge Syracuse fan 00:25:32.619 --> 00:25:36.000 because I played here. Syracuse is my adopted 00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:39.000 city. I went to Europe for 20 years and as you 00:25:39.000 --> 00:25:41.740 can see after 20 years I came back to Syracuse 00:25:41.740 --> 00:25:43.839 and anything I could do to help out the city 00:25:43.839 --> 00:25:53.240 of Syracuse, call me. I'm going to lower this 00:25:53.240 --> 00:25:54.839 a little bit. I'm a little bit shorter than Rosie. 00:25:57.619 --> 00:25:59.619 For me it's a different feeling when I get up 00:25:59.619 --> 00:26:03.359 in front of an audience like this because I literally 00:26:03.359 --> 00:26:08.339 grew up... I went to the Boys and Girls Club 00:26:08.339 --> 00:26:10.059 right down the street here on East Fayette Street. 00:26:11.259 --> 00:26:13.400 So, within walking distance here, I mean, just 00:26:13.400 --> 00:26:16.180 so much has happened in my life. And a lot of 00:26:16.180 --> 00:26:19.519 times, people ask me as I get older, and I used 00:26:19.519 --> 00:26:21.099 to always wonder when my grandma would rub her 00:26:21.099 --> 00:26:23.819 knees. Now I know, because my knees hurt sometimes. 00:26:24.099 --> 00:26:27.220 They ache in the winter, but it's Syracuse to 00:26:27.220 --> 00:26:31.720 me. And by that, I mean, one of the best feelings 00:26:31.720 --> 00:26:34.640 I've ever had as an athlete. You know, it was 00:26:34.640 --> 00:26:36.599 when my last game in the carrier dome, I mean, 00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:38.420 I started walking on the field as they introduced 00:26:38.420 --> 00:26:42.000 the seniors and I was crying. But the whole audience 00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:44.720 packed on, gave me a standing ovation. And it 00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:46.960 was just out of the appreciation of being one 00:26:46.960 --> 00:26:50.339 of their own. They used to always call me a townie 00:26:50.339 --> 00:26:52.160 because I was a homegrown kid. I was born and 00:26:52.160 --> 00:26:54.539 raised in Syracuse, grew up in Syracuse. Played 00:26:54.539 --> 00:26:57.200 my high school football here, which is JD. I'm 00:26:57.200 --> 00:27:00.079 an assistant coach at JD now. I love my JD. I 00:27:00.079 --> 00:27:03.240 love my Syracuse. You know, it's just, it's home 00:27:03.240 --> 00:27:06.660 to me. And when athletes like Rosie, like Lawrence, 00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:08.599 like John Wallace, like Derek Coleman, all those 00:27:08.599 --> 00:27:10.660 guys come back who weren't born here, but they 00:27:10.660 --> 00:27:12.380 accept and they love this city. They always come 00:27:12.380 --> 00:27:14.440 back to the city of Syracuse and I was always 00:27:14.440 --> 00:27:18.359 wondering why. And it's not me, it's you guys. 00:27:18.799 --> 00:27:20.960 It's the things we have at Syracuse, what we 00:27:20.960 --> 00:27:23.279 have to offer. For the kids, I remember just 00:27:23.279 --> 00:27:26.200 coaching. We were nine and one, lost in the championship 00:27:26.200 --> 00:27:28.500 game. We lost by a touchdown. I remember walking 00:27:28.500 --> 00:27:30.700 into the locker room and these kids were just 00:27:30.700 --> 00:27:33.789 crying and it broke my heart. Because as a parent 00:27:33.789 --> 00:27:36.509 myself, as a mentor, you know, you want to take 00:27:36.509 --> 00:27:38.710 kids' pain away. And I didn't know how to do 00:27:38.710 --> 00:27:40.690 that. But I just sat there and I told them, it's 00:27:40.690 --> 00:27:42.750 like, young men, I mean, the greatest things 00:27:42.750 --> 00:27:44.849 I've learned in life is that the beat happens 00:27:44.849 --> 00:27:46.670 to everybody. It's not just everyone, but you 00:27:46.670 --> 00:27:48.990 learn from that. You see how you feel now? That 00:27:48.990 --> 00:27:50.690 means you have to work harder next time so it 00:27:50.690 --> 00:27:53.230 doesn't happen again. I've won a lot of championships 00:27:53.230 --> 00:27:56.509 in my lifetime. You guys know about the 1987 00:27:56.509 --> 00:27:58.569 season when we went 11 -1 and they kicked the 00:27:58.569 --> 00:28:00.589 billboard to tie us, crying in the locker room. 00:28:00.970 --> 00:28:03.250 But if we had... done better, if we had done 00:28:03.250 --> 00:28:04.630 things differently, we could have won that game. 00:28:04.910 --> 00:28:07.309 So that just propelled me to be able to go out 00:28:07.309 --> 00:28:09.250 there and understand and learn that you have 00:28:09.250 --> 00:28:12.250 to do more to become better. It sounds like a 00:28:12.250 --> 00:28:14.410 cliche, but it's so true. The more you do, the 00:28:14.410 --> 00:28:16.150 better you become. You may not win all the time, 00:28:16.250 --> 00:28:19.250 but you get better. Destroyed me when Lawrence 00:28:19.250 --> 00:28:21.970 passed away. It truly, truly did. It still affects 00:28:21.970 --> 00:28:23.490 me to this day because Lawrence was the type 00:28:23.490 --> 00:28:25.950 of person that loved this city. He truly loves 00:28:25.950 --> 00:28:27.309 here because I would talk to him all the time 00:28:27.309 --> 00:28:29.720 about it. And I was like, Lawrence, I was born 00:28:29.720 --> 00:28:31.200 and raised here. I don't understand why I have 00:28:31.200 --> 00:28:33.099 the passion for it. I'm trying to figure out 00:28:33.099 --> 00:28:35.240 why you have as much passion for it. But Lawrence 00:28:35.240 --> 00:28:38.720 loved to see people be successful in things they 00:28:38.720 --> 00:28:40.420 did in life. That's how he was as a basketball 00:28:40.420 --> 00:28:42.000 player. That's how he carried his life. That's 00:28:42.000 --> 00:28:45.180 why he gave so much back. So until the day I 00:28:45.180 --> 00:28:47.200 have no more regrets and able to do things. I 00:28:47.200 --> 00:28:49.440 always do things for my community. I always do 00:28:49.440 --> 00:28:51.180 things to see these young kids successful and 00:28:51.180 --> 00:28:52.660 I'll always be a part of anything they allow 00:28:52.660 --> 00:28:54.359 me to be in the city of Syracuse. Thank you. 00:29:00.529 --> 00:29:03.269 So I have the awesome responsibility on behalf 00:29:03.269 --> 00:29:05.869 of 1 ,100 kids growing up in three different 00:29:05.869 --> 00:29:09.289 neighborhoods in Syracuse to thank these guys, 00:29:09.450 --> 00:29:12.730 to thank Steve. Rob was just at our East Bay 00:29:12.730 --> 00:29:15.890 Club. We have three club houses in downtown Syracuse. 00:29:16.609 --> 00:29:19.190 Rob, his last visit, the kids stood around him 00:29:19.190 --> 00:29:21.970 after his inspirational, motivational speech. 00:29:22.089 --> 00:29:23.950 The kids stood around him for probably an hour 00:29:23.950 --> 00:29:26.430 and he stayed right until the last one was picked 00:29:26.430 --> 00:29:29.049 up by their parents to talk to each one of them. 00:29:29.240 --> 00:29:31.359 to deliver the same message he just delivered 00:29:31.359 --> 00:29:34.579 to you guys. So on behalf of all the kids coming 00:29:34.579 --> 00:29:36.980 to the Boys and Girls Clubs at Syracuse, I want 00:29:36.980 --> 00:29:39.460 to thank these guys. I want to thank Steve. I 00:29:39.460 --> 00:29:41.279 want to thank anybody who's supporting this event 00:29:41.279 --> 00:29:44.059 and coming out to it. A little over a year ago, 00:29:44.059 --> 00:29:46.599 Steve was my first phone call when I took this 00:29:46.599 --> 00:29:50.880 job to fundraise for these kids. And I get a 00:29:50.880 --> 00:29:53.759 lot of nos every day when I'm smiling and dialing. 00:29:53.880 --> 00:29:57.079 A lot of nos. Steve's the first guy to say yes, 00:29:57.140 --> 00:29:59.690 and he's the only guy that calls me. frequently 00:29:59.690 --> 00:30:03.529 to say, how can I help you better the lives of 00:30:03.529 --> 00:30:08.170 these kids? So this event means a lot, and just 00:30:08.170 --> 00:30:15.309 appreciate it. Again, we're going to be out there. 00:30:15.369 --> 00:30:19.650 We do a special winter fair hoops area. That 00:30:19.650 --> 00:30:23.029 is sponsored by the way of Market 32 Price Chopper. 00:30:23.089 --> 00:30:25.970 We want to thank them. Something interesting, 00:30:26.089 --> 00:30:28.789 they're going to be selling tickets. for Winter 00:30:28.789 --> 00:30:34.009 Fair in 130 locations in six states. So we anticipate 00:30:34.009 --> 00:30:37.309 a lot of people coming to Syracuse Winter Fair 00:30:37.309 --> 00:30:41.250 2026. We also have Triple A. They're doing something 00:30:41.250 --> 00:30:44.069 special for their central and western New York 00:30:44.069 --> 00:30:46.710 members. We're taking a dollar off the ticket 00:30:46.710 --> 00:30:50.789 and of course you can save money online at our 00:30:50.789 --> 00:30:53.950 website which is listed right on your press release. 00:30:55.490 --> 00:30:59.650 I want to thank Some of the media, we do have 00:30:59.650 --> 00:31:04.970 cumulus here. We're 93Q, 95X. They're going to 00:31:04.970 --> 00:31:09.769 be out there doing what they do best. We also 00:31:09.769 --> 00:31:13.049 will have, as we've mentioned already, the Van 00:31:13.049 --> 00:31:15.990 Robinson Pan -African Village. We have the Latino 00:31:15.990 --> 00:31:19.250 Village. We have the Indian Village. And coming 00:31:19.250 --> 00:31:23.750 back this year, we have our New Americans Diversity 00:31:23.750 --> 00:31:27.690 Village. We have Sajan James here. Say hello 00:31:27.690 --> 00:31:33.230 to Sajan. He'll be overseeing it. And we'll also 00:31:33.230 --> 00:31:36.250 have international performers too throughout 00:31:36.250 --> 00:31:40.410 the weekend. So we really appreciate that. You 00:31:40.410 --> 00:31:43.250 know, we're going to have some of the people 00:31:43.250 --> 00:31:46.589 that have been there. We got Karate John in the 00:31:46.589 --> 00:31:50.549 back. He'll be doing demonstrations on Saturday. 00:31:51.300 --> 00:31:54.480 Our theme this year is look to the children besides, 00:31:54.480 --> 00:31:57.299 you know, bringing summer fun into winter. And 00:31:57.299 --> 00:32:02.759 we have a lot of different oriented activities 00:32:02.759 --> 00:32:06.779 in the sense of entertainment that will be highlighting 00:32:06.779 --> 00:32:09.940 these students. We saw Blue's Ignition. We saw 00:32:09.940 --> 00:32:12.960 one of their members over here. They'll be playing 00:32:12.960 --> 00:32:16.819 out there. We have the Beatles tribute and that 00:32:16.819 --> 00:32:19.460 will be members of the Cicero North Syracuse. 00:32:20.039 --> 00:32:25.680 high school. We have just a lot going on. Charles 00:32:25.680 --> 00:32:29.700 would see Jack run. He will be providing some 00:32:29.700 --> 00:32:33.059 entertainment as well. We got something a little 00:32:33.059 --> 00:32:36.359 bit different. I grew up as a scout, Cub Scout 00:32:36.359 --> 00:32:40.019 and Boy Scout, and we came up with this idea 00:32:40.019 --> 00:32:43.579 that one of my memories was going to camp, sitting 00:32:43.579 --> 00:32:47.019 around a campfire at night, singing songs. Well, 00:32:47.180 --> 00:32:49.599 we're going to recreate that at Winter Fair. 00:32:49.740 --> 00:32:52.420 We're going to have a video screen up on stage 00:32:52.420 --> 00:32:56.039 with the campfire crackling away. And the scouts, 00:32:56.220 --> 00:32:59.180 boys and girl scouts, will be singing and getting 00:32:59.180 --> 00:33:01.559 all the attendees to sing along. So that's a 00:33:01.559 --> 00:33:04.559 little bit different. And we have Brendan. Brendan, 00:33:05.019 --> 00:33:08.799 he is right there. He will be leading the charge. 00:33:09.160 --> 00:33:11.640 They'll be out there, and they'll have a booth 00:33:11.640 --> 00:33:14.809 as well. So we have a lot of different things 00:33:14.809 --> 00:33:17.329 that are going to be happening here. We want 00:33:17.329 --> 00:33:21.650 to thank all of our sponsors and such. If you 00:33:21.650 --> 00:33:25.170 have any information you need, just give me a 00:33:25.170 --> 00:33:29.569 call. It's right on the press release information. 00:33:30.049 --> 00:33:32.730 But we want to thank you for coming out today 00:33:32.730 --> 00:33:37.769 for Syracuse Winter Fair 2026. We'll see you 00:33:37.769 --> 00:33:38.710 out there. Thank you.