Fundraiser Starts Friday at Mel’s
By SARAH ROBERTS
COOPERSTOWN
Mel’s at 22 is collaborating with aerial photographer William Jay Miller to host an event in an effort to assist three local nonprofit organizations: the Cooperstown Food Pantry, the Susquehanna Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and Springbrook.
All three nonprofits have special connections to the team at Mel’s at 22 and to Miller, who has donated seven signed and numbered “super-sized” prints of aerial images of Cooperstown to the cause.
Miller, who lives locally, is a licensed drone pilot with the FAA. He started flying drones eight years ago and now specializes in aerial images and videos of Cooperstown and Otsego Lake.
“I try to showcase the area in a different perspective than most people are used to seeing,” Miller said in an interview.
The kick-off event for the fundraiser will be on Friday and Saturday, March 28 and 29, from 5-8 p.m. Patrons of Mel’s at 22 will be able to view the art and have pictures taken with a 1 to 10 scale image of Kingfisher Tower, a well-known structure on Otsego Lake.
Miller’s photographs will be for sale during the event and Mel’s at 22 will provide tickets for anyone who purchases a Kingfisher specialty cocktail on Friday or Saturday. Those tickets will go into a drawing at the end of the event for the chance to win a 30”x15” metal print of Kingfisher Tower. The winner will be drawn at 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 29. The Kingfisher specialty cocktail contains Grey Whale gin, St. Germain, triple sec, house sour mix, and prosecco, garnished with a lemon twist.
“We were talking about how we could do something for the community,” Miller said. “The fundraiser will continue until all prints have been purchased, or until June 1. “Alex and Brian at Mel’s chose two nonprofits that have special meaning to them, while I chose the SQSPCA in honor of my sister, Judith Miller, who continues to rescue pets and who has volunteered at the shelter.”
The prints are priced at $150.00 each. Net proceeds from the purchase of the prints will be donated to the Cooperstown Food Pantry, the SQSPCA or Springbrook, as buyers will have the choice of which nonprofit the proceeds from their purchase will go to.
The Cooperstown Food Pantry provides five days worth of food for each member of a household once a month. Additional care items, including diapers, are offered when available. The pantry also provides vouchers for the Cooperstown Farmers’ Market and for the BackPack Program, which provides “kid-friendly, shelf stable, easily-prepared food…discreetly distributed on Friday afternoons to children who participate in the program.”
According to its website, the SQSPCA “is committed to bringing about a time when there are no more homeless animals and every companion animal is guaranteed a loving home. We work to accomplish this goal through our spay/neuter, adoption, and education programs.” The SQSPCA supports animals who are in need through sheltering, spaying and neutering, and working to combat animal cruelty.
Springbrook supports members of the community with developmental disabilities through education and residential programs, as well as “work[ing] at school, in communities, and in the home to create a comprehensive learning experience that makes every day a chance to discover, build and grow.”
“Fast Friends Combo will provide live music on Friday from 6-9 p.m.,” said Derek Wedderspoon, general manager of Mel’s at 22.
“Come and view the artwork, try a Kingfisher specialty cocktail, and enjoy live music at Mel’s starting at 5 p.m. on Friday. It should be a lot of fun,” Wedderspoon said.
Word has it that a special guest currently residing at the SQSPCA will be on hand for the festivities as well.
(This story was updated on 3/27/2025.)
