Working to raise funds to save the Frederick Allen Lodge

There’s a push to save and restore the Frederick Allen Lodge in Saratoga Springs. The lodge is one of the last standing African American fraternal organizations in the community.

They had a jazz barbecue fundraiser on Sunday. There was live music and a lot of food.

For years, the lodge has been a safe space for African Americans to come and express themselves.

During COVID, leaders of the lodge say they ran into some financial troubles. They had to use money that was meant to pay their bills to keep the administrative funds up to date.

Kendall Hicks is the exalted ruler. He says preserving the lodge is important for people in the African American community. The lodge has been on Beekman Street since 1966, but has been around for more than 100 years.

"We got tremendous support from the community right now. As you can see, we are humbled by all the support we have. We have all the people in the building, just pouring in because people understand that the history and the culture that this lodge represents is important, and it definitely needs to be preserved," said Hicks.

Hicks says they are trying to raise $89,000. So far, they have raised about 10% of their goal. They started a GoFundMe campaign. For more information, click here.