Ages: 12 and 8
Hometown: Clifton Park
Schools: Christian Brothers Academy and Karigon Elementary School
Community involvement: Bernard and Millie Duker Children’s Hospital at Albany Med
Twelve-year-old Henry Fichtman inherited the tradition of picking out and donating gifts to kids spending Christmas at the Bernard and Millie Duker Children’s Hospital at Albany Med from his older sister, Ava, but has since embraced it wholeheartedly.
“I like that I am giving kids who are suffering from an illness something to be happy about,” Henry says. “I like to choose things that I know I would enjoy if I was in their shoes.”
In recent years, Henry has even helped turn his family’s Christmastime tradition into something bigger by inviting his 12U Troy Albany Titans hockey teammates to be involved in the donation. And now, Henry and Ava are passing the tradition down to their youngest sibling.
“I like to donate toys to the kids at Albany Med because their Christmas is hard and they need to stay in a hospital bed,” says the 8-year-old Olivia. “I think it makes them happy to receive our gifts. I really love making them feel happy.”
This feature is part of a series in which we feature 12 young people from Saratoga Springs
and the Capital Region who are making their communities a better place. Know a kid who fits the bill? Send their story to editorial@saratogaliving.com for a chance to be featured in a future issue!
