Himoff family is dedicated to boosting area wellness, education, community life

BRANT LAKE | The Himoff family, owners and operators of the renowned Point O' Pines camp on Brant Lake, are legendary for their charitable works and their extensive community involvement in northern Warren County. Their support of such beneficial initiatives has prompted the North Warren Chamber of Commerce to honor them with their 2023 "Business of the Year" award — a term which should be plural, as the Himoffs also own and operate Jimbo's Club at the Point, a restaurant on camp property. There's also a former enterprise of theirs that has played a huge role in the lives of the area children — Suzie Q's Restaurant that became most prominent in community life after it ceased operation: the Himoffs donated the restaurant building, which they had fully renovated and expanded, to the Glens Falls Family YMCA in 2016 to become the YMCA Adirondack Center. For seven years, the Adirondack Center has offered a wide range of programs and services, primarily for the region's youth. Summer reading, literacy, leadership development and after-school enrichment programs have been among the ventures of the Adirondack Center, and they've been deeply appreciated by area community leaders, who say these programs have been particularly helpful in the lives of children from families of modest means. The YMCA Adirondack Center service area extends beyond the towns of Horicon and Chester: program participants in prior years have hailed from the towns of Johnsburg, Warrensburg, Minerva, and elsewhere. Point O' PInes Director Brandon Himoff, one of Jim and Sue Himoff's adult children, serves on the Adirondack Center's advisory committee and is on the board of directors of the Glens Falls Family YMCA. Jimbo's Club is also a factor in prompting the community award, because the development of the full-service restaurant/wedding and conference venue, established in 1990, allows Point O'Pines Camp to keep about 35 of their experienced personnel employed year-round, rather than furloughing them over the offseason. In addition, the Himoffs host many various community, civic and charitable events in Jimbo's, including Scott Remington's renowned Spinal Cord Benefit and the ultra-popular Brant Lake Winter Carnival, which Brandon Himoff helped launch. The winter carnival, thanks to Himoff and other volunteers of the local Tri-Lakes Community Alliance, has become a major event in the region, embraced by residents of northern Warren and southern Essex counties as well as area visitors. The Himoffs have also been generous, recurring contributors to North Country Ministry — which serves people of limited means throughout the southern Adirondacks in obtaining food, clothing, housing, counseling, jobs, and emergency assistance. Sue Himoff serves on the Ministry's board of directors. The Himoffs have also made regular contributions toward the missions of Hudson Headwaters Health Network, the vital source of affordable health care in the region. Jim Himoff, Brandon's father, has served as president of the Hudson Headwaters Health Foundation, which funds healthcare initiatives. It also sponsors an Upstream Fund that partners with the Adirondack Foundation's Generous Acts program to fund projects that address food, housing, transportation and other factors that affect health or restrict access to health care. The Himoff family members are major donors to both the Hudson Headwaters Health Foundation and Upstream Fund. In addition, the Himoffs have made generous contributions to Hudson Headwaters' Mobile Health service, which features medical practitioners traveling to remote and rural areas in a large, well-equipped van, providing primary care, pediatric and adolescent medical care as well as gynecological services — regardless of people's ability to pay. As Jim Himoff was both a camper and a counselor at Brant Lake Camp for Boys many decades ago, he experienced first-hand how fun and fulfilling a camping experience was — so he bought Point O'Pines in 1984, Brandon Himoff said. Jim had the camp fully renovated, and subsequently, he and his staff developed an incomparable program that not only includes traditional activities and aspects of a premium camp experience but also features such innovative programs as growing organic food and farm-to-table cooking. Well aware of how camping develops talents, social skills, and leadership capabilities, the Himoffs contribute to the SCOPE program, an organization that provides camping experiences to disadvantaged urban children. "We have made grants to SCOPE programs for kids in our area to attend Camp Chingachgook because exposing them to the camping experience makes such a difference in their lives," Brandon Himoff said, noting that both the Upstream Fund and Generous Acts also support scholarships to Camp Chingachgook. Possessing a deep commitment to the character development of youth, the Himoff family members believe this objective should have a bigger role in public education, Brandon said. To advance this mission, the Himoffs support a program of the Upstate Institute, which conducts research projects into the adequacy of education, health care, food availability — and issues related to poverty — in the Adirondacks. Stemming from their dedication to education, the Himoffs have also helped fund new lab facilities for SUNY Adirondack and supported the college's culinary programs. They also have established graduation scholarships for North Warren High School. "We look for good projects and programs that need funding, and we help fulfill those needs," Brandon Himoff said. Brandon serves on the board of directors of the Saratoga Independent School, which provides an advanced, multifaceted curriculum for children aged three through eighth grade. Adam Himoff, Brandon's brother, serves on the board of a private school in Utah. Beyond being leading employers in the region, there are other aspects of their commitment to the economic prosperity and social vitality of the North Warren area. As an active member of both the Tri-Lakes Community Alliance and the North Warren Chamber of Commerce, Brandon Himoff has helped develop, plan and coordinate various activities and programs sponsored by these two groups. An accomplished photographer, Brandon Himoff has photographed many of these events for posterity. People in the area have expressed appreciation for his commitment to community service. "Brandon is a very busy man, but if we need to have anything accomplished, he's always there for us," North Warren Chamber CEO Julia Pucciarelli said. Brandon said his family's efforts in enhancing life in northern Warren County are inspired in part because they want to create enjoyable experiences for youth that will prompt them to return to the area as adults and raise their families here. "Our family has a deep love of the Brant Lake/Tri-Lakes area," Brandon Himoff said. "We care deeply about the area communities, and want to do good things to enhance life here — and we look forward to continuing this tradition."

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Himoff family is dedicated to boosting area wellness, education, community life

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