This logo was the winning design from last year’s Laurel Run by Kennedy Parks of Silver Creek High School.

Area high school students can put their artistic talents to use by participating in a contest to design the logo for the 2019 Laurel Memorial Run and Walk. The person who designs the winning entry will receive a $100 gift card to a store of his or her choosing.

Laurel Run was started in 1997 by Wayne and Elaine Hotelling of Silver Creek. The annual event is named in honor of their oldest daughter. Laurel, who died in 2017, had Down syndrome, and Laurel Run seeks to raise awareness and appreciation about the achievements of people with Down syndrome and other types of disabilities. The Hotellings have dedicated the Laurel Memorial Run and Walk to Laurel and to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities who receive supports from The Resource Center.

The Laurel Memorial Run and Walk raises money for Filling the Gap, Inc., which works with The Resource Center to support people with disabilities and their families in Chautauqua County.

The logo contest is open to high school students in Chautauqua County. Design entries should not be too intricate, since the design needs to reproduce well in a T-shirt. Artists are also encouraged to submit original designs, rather than using artwork they find on the Internet or through other sources.

Designs must be received by Monday, April 22. Internal voting at The Resource Center and Filling the Gap will identify the finalists. Again this year, the OBSERVER will post the finalists on its website, and the public can cast votes online to help determine the winning design.

Designs should be submitted to: Laurel Run Logo Contest, c/o Filling the Gap, 92 Fairmount Ave., Jamestown, NY, 14701. Designs also may be submitted electronically to kayla.bohall@resourcecenter.org. All entries become the property of Filling the Gap.

The 23rd annual Laurel Run will take place July 19 and 20. The traditional Jamestown-to-Dunkirk relay run will take place Friday, July 19. The following morning, the action shifts to Silver Creek and features an 8-kilometer running race, a 5k walk, a 1k fun walk, children’s runs, “Laurel’s Lap” (for anyone with a disability), and a party in the village square.

For more information about the logo contest, phone 661-4735.

For information about Laurel Run, visit www.laurel-run.com.