Stewart’s Foundation Recognized with Leadership Through Service Award During SUNY Potsdam Commencement Ceremony
The Stewart’s Foundation was honored with the 2025 Leadership Through Service Award at SUNY Potsdam’s Commencement Ceremony. Accepting the award on the foundation’s behalf was Chuck Marshall ’01, seen here at the podium at the ceremony.
SUNY Potsdam recently recognized the Stewart’s Foundation with the 2025 Leadership Through Service Award, one of the College’s highest honors, during Commencement. Accepting the award on the foundation’s behalf was Chuck Marshall ’01, director of real estate for Stewart’s Shops, who urged graduates to stay the course and not be deterred by all that life would throw at them.
“The Stewart’s Foundation exemplifies what it means to lead through service,” said SUNY Potsdam President Dr. Suzanne R. Smith. “Their unwavering commitment to giving back to the communities they serve has made a lasting impact across the North Country and beyond. We are proud to honor their legacy, and to celebrate their generosity in helping our campus and the broader community thrive.”
SUNY Potsdam established the Leadership Through Service Award to honor those outstanding individuals and organizations that have demonstrated a commitment of service to the Potsdam community. Each year, recipients are acknowledged for demonstrating a special commitment to the betterment of the North Country through dedicated service.
“Thank you very much. This is particularly special for me as a 2001 graduate, and someone with his two children here with him today,” Marshall said. “It’s your journey—just keep advancing the ball.”
About the recipient:
Founded in 1945 by the Dake family in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., who purchased a dairy and ice cream shop from Donald Stewart of Ballston Spa, Stewart’s Shops has grown into an employee- and family-owned business with more than 350 convenience shops employing 5,000 people across Upstate New York and Vermont. Every year, Stewart’s Shops donates 5 percent of its profits toward the greater good, with the goal of enhancing the quality of life in the communities where it operates.
Stewart’s Shops and the Dake Family have a goal to donate $12 million annually. Stewart’s Shops and the two related family foundations each donate $4 million to thousands of local charities. This total includes the corporate match to the Holiday Match Program, as well as contributions such as monetary donations, products and gift certificates. It is never a question of whether Stewart’s will give, but to whom. The Stewart’s Foundation supports local charities in conjunction with all of their new shop openings. Stewart’s encourages their employees to take an active interest and become involved in their communities, and will match employee contributions to organizations that they are not already substantially supporting. In addition, the Stewart’s Foundation annually chooses from what are considered more unusual opportunities that may have an especially positive impact on society to fill in funding gaps.
Stewart’s Shops Senior District Manager John Howard, District Manager Pam Gary, District Manager Lynn White, and SUNY Potsdam Director of Strategic Alliances John Wicke. SUNY Potsdam honored the Stewart’s Foundation with its Leadership Through Service Award, which honors individuals and organizations who demonstrate a special commitment to the betterment of the North Country through dedicated service.
In their highly successful Holiday Match Program, Stewart’s also matches customers’ donations and makes gifts to benefit children under 18 in the areas of social services, health, education, recreation and the arts. Stewart’s and its customers have contributed more than $39 million to thousands of organizations over the last 39 years through this program.
The Stewart’s Foundation has made a commitment to support SUNY Potsdam programming that benefits the community as well. In 2024, the Stewart’s Foundation made a major gift to elevate engagement between SUNY Potsdam students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members. The foundation committed $125,000 over the next five years, to establish the SUNY Potsdam/Stewart’s Foundation Community and College Engagement Fund.
The gift supports ongoing programming that brings together the campus and community, in an effort to deepen connections between students, faculty, staff, alumni, families and the broader region. The ongoing funding supports the campus’s participation in events such as Sundaes with Suzanne, an ice cream reception and fair to welcome new students and families; Potsdam Palooza, a partnership between SUNY Potsdam, Clarkson University and the Potsdam Chamber of Commerce, which encourages new and returning students to visit downtown businesses and get to know the community, and Bear Pride Night, which celebrates the SUNY Potsdam Bears with a fun night of basketball, hockey and activities at Maxcy Hall.
To learn more about community giving by Stewart’s Shops and the Dake family, visit www.stewartsshops.com/community-giving.
About SUNY Potsdam:
Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America’s first 50 colleges—and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.