CBS6 News: Colonie kids revel in fun at Pioneer Charitable Foundation's 6th annual Grand Carnival
9.13.25
"COLONIE, N.Y. — Children in Colonie enjoyed a day filled with games, face painting, and balloons at the Pioneer Charitable Foundation's 6th annual Grand Carnival. The event, organized by the foundation, aims to raise funds for local nonprofits dedicated to improving the lives of children in the community.
Tom Amell, President and CEO of Pioneer Bancorp, Inc., said, 'Yeah, normal day-to-day we're bankers. Today, what we're doing is we're hosting a bunch of kids to raise money for our charitable foundation.'
'We're proud of our bank, but at the end of the day, people want to be inspired. So we're inspired by raising money to help kids,' Amell added.
The Grand Carnival welcomes around a thousand people each year. So far, the event has raised over $245,000 for housing, health care, and educational programs. Amell emphasized that the foundation's mission is to 'help kids be kids.'"