ALEXANDRIA BAY -- St. Lawrence County Optometrist, Dr. Robert Saidel hosted nearly 140 area foster children and their family members at a day on the St. Lawrence River Sept. 25.

Dr. Saidel has offices in both Canton and Gouverneur.

The event was held in conjunction with Uncle Sam’s Boat Tours, Alexandria Bay. The children and families were treated to a “Two Nation Tour” on the boat line. Dr. Saidel also provided snacks and beverages for all attending.

The event was made possible through Ryan’s Wish Foundation, instituted by Dr. Saidel’s to honor the memory of his son. According to the Foundation’s website, “Ryan Saidel was only 19 years old when he lost his battle with cancer. During his five-year struggle, Ryan touched the lives of countless people. To those around him, Ryan defined the word courage, as he lived his life inspiring others to make the best of each and every day.”

The CHJC Foster Care Program provides temporary care for children unable to live with their birth families or guardians. It allows children who may have been abused or neglected, and/or have behavioral challenges and special needs, the opportunity to live in a family setting, attend public school and be an active member of the community. To provide support for the needs of the entire family, in addition to 24-hour on-call services and crisis response, extensive training is offered to all foster parents. They work as a member of a team of families, social workers, and other professionals to help prepare a child to return to his/her birth family, or to be adopted.

For more information on the Children’s Home Foster Parenting call Kim Hierholzer at 229-3481, or email khierholzer@nnychildrenshome.com; or call Kelly Musselman at 777-9237 or email kmusselman@nnychildrenshome.

More info: www.nnychildrenshome.com.