**PRESS RELEASE**
The Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee (SSDC) will host its annual Starbuck Luncheon on Saturday, July 25 from 11:00am to 1:00pm, celebrating the legacy of pioneering suffragette Kathryn H. Starbuck. This annual event at the Gideon Putnam Hotel honors local leaders who uphold Starbuck’s tradition of service in support of equality and social justice.
This year, the SSDC will honor Congressman Paul Tonko with the Lifetime Achievement Award, Sybil Newell with the Advocacy Award, Patrick Pipino with the Community Leader Award, Connor Rohan with the Future Leader Award, and Ellie Cathryn O’Brien with the Student Future Leader Award.
The SSDC is grateful for the support of our honorary event committee, which includes Pat Tuz & Jon Weilbaker, Gordon Boyd, Otis & Carol Maxwell, Jenny Clifton, Ron & Jennifer Kim, Ed & Lin Murphy, Susan & Mitch Cohen, James Thompson, and Bill McTygue. Our gratitude extends to the good folks at the Gideon Putnam Hotel for once again welcoming this celebration of service and community.
For more information, and to purchase individual tickets and tables, visit: secure.actblue.com/donate/starbuck2026
ABOUT THE 2026 HONOREES
Congressman Paul Tonko has served as a progressive champion in the U.S. House of Representatives for the Capital Region since 2009, and previously served for nearly 25 years in the New York State Assembly. The SSDC will honor Congressman Tonko with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Sybil Newell has dedicated her professional life to improving the care and prospects for people with mental illness and substance use disorders. The SSDC will honor Ms. Newell with the Advocacy Award.
Patrick Pipino, as owner of the Lake Street Ben & Jerry’s, has built a business that reflects his belief that service is the rent you pay for living. He has held numerous volunteer leadership roles with the Saratoga County Convention & Tourism Bureau, the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce, Saratoga Center for the Family, and other organizations, while somehow finding time to donate ice cream and homemade loaves of sourdough bread across the Capital Region. The SSDC will honor Mr. Pipino with the Community Leader Award.
Connor Rohan serves as Deputy Supervisor and Town Board member for the Town of Wilton, where he chairs the Code and Zoning Revision Committee. In 2024, Connor re-launched the Saratoga County Young Democrats, growing the organization from two people into an active countywide operation to recruit a new generation to get involved in their local community. The SSDC will honor Mr. Rohan with the Future Leader Award.
Ellie Cathryn O’Brien is a rising junior at Saratoga Springs High School who has demonstrated great leadership as part of the school’s Participatory Budgeting Committee. The group came up with several impressive projects, including an outdoor water source for sports teams and a grill in the cafeteria, before turning their sights to expanding voting opportunities on school grounds. With the Board of Elections’ assistance, Ellie and her classmates brought voting machines on premises, leading to a 90% rate of voter participation. Ellie also participates in the Student Athlete Leadership Team, Women’s Empowerment Club, Olympics of the Visual Arts, and Best Buddies. The SSDC will honor Ms. O’Brien with the Student Future Leader Award.
ABOUT KATHRYN H. STARBUCK
Throughout her life, Kathryn H. Starbuck (1887-1965) was an organizer and leader in the suffrage movement. Across more than six decades of advocacy, she served as a District Leader of the New York State Woman Suffrage Party, became one of the first women to graduate from Albany Law School and joined the bar, ran for the New York State Assembly, became the first chairperson of the Saratoga County League of Women Voters, taught at Skidmore, and served as President of the Saratoga Springs Board of Education. Starbuck never lost sight of the vital importance of education, and committed herself to teaching women how best to use their hard-fought right to vote.
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