By THE FAMILY OF OLIVIA COIA
We would like to thank all of our sponsors and volunteers who helped make the second annual Olivia's 5K Wish Run a huge success.
It was Olivia's last two wishes, before she passed away on March 4, 2010 at the age of 32 from Triple Negative Breast Cancer, that we have a run/walk to raise funds for a memorial scholarship and help with TNBC research.
We have done both. We already have a $1,000 annual memorial scholarship set up in her name at Silver Creek High School, where she was a special education teacher. This year we are starting a second memorial scholarship at Lake Shore High, to thank the district for the support the staff and students have given us these past two years. Olivia went to Lake Shore until eighth grade before moving to the Silver Creek area, so setting up a scholarship at Lake Shore is our way of giving back to them, as well.
Here are some of the winners from the run and walk that was held Sept. 30:
Ray Graf, from Silver Creek, had the fastest time of the day with a time of 16:51. Since he was on a team, the overall male award went to Joshua Wheeler from Lake Shore with a time of 16:56.
The overall female award went to Hanna Seiders from Silver Creek with a time of 21:19.
The team awards included Silver Creek Men's Cross Country, first place; Silver Creek Teachers, second place; Silver Creek Team Awesome, third place.
The Female Master Award 45-plus went to Barbara Garland from Sheridan, with a time of 26:23.
The Male Master Award went to Bruce Main from Jamestown, with a time of 21:57.
Our top fundraiser of the year was Amanda Coia from Lake Shore High, who raised almost $1,000 on her own and helped with other fundraising events.
The winner of the 32-inch pink LCD TV was Andrea Smith.
The winner of the Dewalt grinder and disc gift set from Flexovit was Kelly McDaneld.
The split raffle was won by Ray Graf, who donated his winnings back to our cause.
Thank you to our financial sponsors and those who donated other items, including food and gifts for our Chinese auction and post party, and for making this second year a huge success.
Special thanks to X-Press Signs, Cross Family Vineyards, Jim White's Truck and Auto Center, Silver Creek Firehouse on the Lake, TPS Propane, Lake Shore School and Teachers Association, Silver Creek Schools and Teachers Association, Flexovit, Hair's Looking at You, Evangola State Park, Farnham Volunteer Fire Dept., Lake Erie Beach Fire Dept., Fredonia Walmart, Park Avenue Imprints, EAS Sports Nutrition, Save-a-Lot, Dunkirk OBSERVER, Mark James and Kix Country, Derby Small Animal Clinic, Road I.D.
Thru the Grapevine Travel, Bahgat & Laurito-Bahgat, Dawn Cummings, Liberty Vineyards and Winery, Fredonia Beaver Club, Kosciusko Polish Home Association, Evans Bank, Matt's Tick Tock Towing and Recovery, Jamco, D&F Pallet, G&E Tents, Tables, and Chairs, Tops of Silver Creek, Ferber Automotive Corp., Silver Creek Optical, A.D Titus Monuments, Lads Pet Supply, Linda Corey, Joy Patterson, Georgette Ross, George and Melissa Brunn, Judy and Mike Burghardt, Robert and Lil Montest.
Becky Dix, Maria's Pizza, Ellie's Pizza, Shop & Save, Petri's Bakery, Joey V's Pizza, Pasquales Pizza, Sunset Bay Restaurant, Tom's Family Restaurant, Sears of Fredonia, Evans Ace Hardware, Miller's Bait Store, Lakeside Market, Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabres, Buffalo Harbor Cruises, Buffalo Bisons, Signals Gas Station & Store, JCPenney, Larry Romance Tractor Supply, Susan Sek, Cindy Miller, Big Lots, Advanced Auto Parts, Fred Roberts Auto Parts, BAC, Chautauqua Health & Fitness.
Kirk's Jewelers, Gamerz Haven, Maurice's, Pepsi, Merritt Winery, Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation, Tom Meka, Fredonia Schools, Hallmark, Linda Connor, WNY Finish Line, Pampered Paws, anyone I may have missed in the above list, and all our volunteers and runners/walkers the day of the event. Without all of you, we never could have done this, and help to make Olivia's wishes and memory live on.
All money raised goes directly to research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston with Dr. Winer and to Olivia's Memorial Scholarship Funds.
Any school or individual who would like to help next year can contact us early in 2013 so we can get started. Email coiadavid@yahoo.com.
We will be at Evangola next year on Oct. 6. We hope to see our run/walk grow to more than 1,000 in time. We know this community can do it and help us with our cause.
Thank you all.
Dave and Laura Coia are residents
of Silver Creek.
