How did New Yorkers spend their Leap Day?

NYC nonprofits call for extra care on Leap Day

NEW YORK -- Did Thursday feel any different to you? That's probably because we're living through a rare day on the calendar -- Leap Day.

The last time we saw this was back in 2020, and we won't see it again until 2028.

For some, it's a day to celebrate.

"It's a day to party ... I have friends that are Leap Year babies," Queens resident Orlando Diaz said.

For others, it's just Thursday.

"It does not feel different honestly ... Like, we could've went to March," Washington Heights resident Rah Miller said.

Feb. 29 comes to us only once every four years. It's at the end of the month, when financial advisor and president of 7 Stage Advisors Carl Gould hears from clients that they wish they'd made more money.

"Sometimes for some people, at the end of the money, there's still more month, if you know what I mean. They run short. So this gives you one more day to figure out how to make those payments," he said.

It's also an extra day to spend money. He recommends using the day wisely -- to plan on how to better save or for business owners to be experimental.

"This is a really good, fun day for social media," Gould said.

"If you want to test something out, this is the day to do it," CBS New York's Kristie Keleshian said.

"This is your day to do it. If it doesn't go well, you have three years, four years for people to forget all about it," Gould said.

Feb. 29 is also seen as an extra day of care for New York Cares and West Side Campaign Against Hunger.

"I mean, hunger doesn't take a break in New York or any place. Having an extra day of hunger also means there needs to be an extra day of giving back," West Side Campaign Against Hunger CEO Greg Silverman said.

"If each one of us just takes a couple of hours in this extra year where we have an extra day, we can all make a really big difference," said Sapreet Saluja, executive director of New York Cares.

The food distribution with West Side Campaign Against Hunger was one of at least 40 different volunteer opportunities citywide organized by New York Cares on Leap Day. Eight-year volunteer Ana Nicasio is also a meal kit recipient.

"It's an extra day of the year, so we need to do something nice for other people," she said.

An extra day, as volunteers shared, for an opportunity to do good and be grateful. 

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