'Skin Colored Shorts', Grattan Beach, Galway, Ireland, Aug. 2022
Rhonda Wenrich, 71, sits among the Maine Coon cats she raises at her home in Coudersport, P.A., on Nov. 5, 2023. Wenrich, who averages sending 16 kittens annually to new homes, says she regularly receives cards, gifts, and pictures from her kittens’ families. “It's not the gifts that count, though; it's knowing you’re in someone's thoughts and having had a positive effect on their family that’s important to me,” she says.
Clarence junior high girls' cross country team members Mia Collins, Adelynn Dokar (qc), and Marlee Lundbuerg (left to right) support their teammates in the boys' junior high large school race during the 58th annual McQuaid Invitational at Genesee Valley Park in Rochester, N.Y., on Sept. 30, 2023. Saratoga Springs freshman Calvin Howard clinched first place, completing the 1.6-mile course in 8:18.
New members of RIT’s Sigma Chi fraternity hype each other up before competing in a round of tug-of-war during the 28th annual Mud Tug competition hosted by Zeta Tau Alpha and Phi Kappa Psi, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Henrietta, N.Y. The event raised $10,350 for the Hillside Family of Agencies.
'Rick's Deer Shed' in Milford, N.Y., photographed on Nov. 28, 2021.
Two participants dressed as yetis from the 49-member Greece American Legion Post 468 Polar Cubs Team share a beer during the 2024 Rochester Polar Plunge at Ontario Beach Park in Rochester, N.Y., on Feb. 4, 2024. The team, which has joined the event for 13 consecutive years, raised over $25,000 this year, earning the title of Top Fundraising Team for the second year in a row.
Derrell Newkirk, of Las Vegas, Nev., examines a Russian Blue cat named EmeraldBlu Lady Adaline for bone structure and coat quality during the Genesee Cat Fanciers Annual Cat Show at the Dome Arena in Henrietta, N.Y., on March 2, 2025, as another Russian Blue, Tylona's Blue Enchantress Rose, looks on. The event, featuring more than 150 cats from over 40 breeds, ran through the weekend.
(From left) Joseph Pedro, Richard Fishwick and Jalen Dickerson participate in the snowshoe competition at Rochester Community Sports Complex in Rochester, N.Y., Feb. 22, 2025. The snowshoeing event was just one of seven different sports athletes competed in during this years New York Special Olympic Winter Games.
Maddie Francis, Lily Kniseley, and Annie Hong hang out on the basketball court at Veterans Memorial Park in Henrietta, NY on April 15, 2022.
NYU’s Hampton Sanders fights for possession of the ball against Yellowjacket Logan Jagodzinski at the Louis Alexander Palestra Arena in Rochester, N.Y., on Feb. 16, 2025. The New York University Violets defeated the University of Rochester Yellowjackets 86-69.
"There's a lot of misconception that veterans don't want to be a part of college; they just want to do their stuff and go home," says Robert Spain, who observes a disconnect between veterans and their peers as he attends classes after active military service. Spain was photographed on RIT's Henrietta, N.Y., campus on Nov. 11, 2022. He actively fosters inclusivity for veterans by promoting student interaction in the college environment. "Sometimes, they (veterans) need that notch. 'Hey, how you doing?,' says Spain. "We're all part of the student body, and many of us have faced challenges in our lives that resonate with others. Building empathy and understanding among students is how we improve, not just as a school community but as humanity."
Courtney Schaeffer celebrates after her team of 10 Zeta Tau Alpha sisters wins a round of tug-of-war during RIT’s annual Mud Tug competition, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Henrietta, N.Y. The tournament, hosted by Zeta Tau Alpha and Phi Kappa Psi, raised $10,350 for the Hillside Family of Agencies.
Norman Millette, 81, takes a moment to observe passersby through the window as he completes a haircut at his Senior Citizens' Barber Shop in Portland, Maine, on July 29, 2019.
"Pregaming" for the 25th annual Rochester Polar Plunge for Special Olympics New York at Ontario Beach Park in Rochester, NY., on Feb. 2, 2025. The water temperature was measured at around 30 degrees fahrenheit at the time of the plunge.
A view of Otsego Lake from the Otesaga Resort Hotel in Cooperstown N.Y., on Nov. 7, 2021. The village of Cooperstown is home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Great Tigers Snowshoe coach Stanley VanSavage ties a bib number on athlete Michelle Markhan before her race at Green Lakes State Park in Syracuse, N.Y. VanSavage’s daughter has been on competing on his team for 50 years and is who inspired him to start coaching for Special Olympics.
Lily in the studio
Farmer Michael Parker moves his beef cattle to graze in a new pastures at his farm in Springfield, N.Y.
Bob Humbert, 68, pauses for breath while building a new bird enclosure at Wolcottsville Wildlife Rescue, which he operates from his home in Akron, N.Y., on Nov. 3, 2023. “I’m not used to being held back,” says Humbert. “I’m starting to realize I can’t do this work alone and that I need to have people help me.” Humbert, who is awaiting a lung transplant, reflects on the past summer when his lungs completely stopped functioning, adding, “I’m even relying on the public for donations in order for me to even be able to get the lung transplant surgery, it’s a new period in my life I have to be okay with asking for help.”
'Ranunculus Field,' The Flower Fields, Carlsbad, C.A., Mar. 11, 2022.