Amanda Brinkman's appearance on the stage of the Opera House signaled Fredonia's win.

Co-host Amanda Brinkman of the “Small Business Revolution” heard a sound that was once again music to her ears. It came in an eruption and was filled with excitement from the crowd of more than 450 people inside the Fredonia Opera House and Performing Arts Center and about another 150 outside of it on Tuesday evening.

That roar occurred during her grand entrance to the stage, which set off a frenzy and signified our community was the top vote-getter in the television program’s contest. “They know how to scream, huh?” Brinkman noted when asked about her first impressions of the village. “What I love about that scream is … it is always so impactful.”

For those seated in the front rows who had given so much of their time and energies to this effort — especially during the holiday season — it was one loud exhale. They had done it.

Oh, what a feeling!

Nothing ever comes easy. But this committee of small business owners, elected officials, FestivalsFredonia members and chamber leaders were driven and focused once they understood the premise and $500,000 investment that comes with the “Revolution.”

Getting community buy-in was the first step. On the day Fredonia was announced as a Top 10 finalist for the show, the story was not front and center. Local law enforcement, in a press release Nov. 22, noted they were searching for a missing naked cherub that was taken only days earlier from one of the Barker Common fountains.

As one piece of village history went missing, another was in the making. Chamber officials began rallying support for the cause almost immediately. Besides reaching out to local merchants, they also enlisted the help of the State University of New York at Fredonia and Jeffrey Woodard, director of marketing and communications for the institution.

Woodard, who was formerly news director at WGRZ-TV in Buffalo, in his quick research found that if Fredonia moved to the final five, the village had a major opportunity to win some important national media coverage. On Black Friday, only a week after the Top 10 announcement, committee members met and started the #myfredonia social media effort that was so important to becoming a finalist. The very next day, Small Business Saturday, a major push was evident through Facebook and Twitter as well as the village.

Less than two weeks later, when two “Revolution” team members came to town, they were in awe of the community support. According to Todd Tranum, Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive officer, Julie Gordon and Erica Adams said they “felt like celebrities” when they entered to thunderous applause at the Dec. 11 event at the Opera House. “We generally get a warm welcome to a community,” Gordon said, “but nothing like this.”

Tranum embraced this challenge from the beginning. He wore all sorts of hats over the last 60 days including spokesman, organizer, cheerleader and musician. In one social media video on Facebook, he played guitar while leading a crowd in a “Vote #myfredonia” song to spur last-minute voting in the region on Jan. 20.

Many of the volunteer group, enthusiastic and tireless throughout the campaign, sang along that evening wearing their emotions on their sleeves and on those trendy T-shirts. Their voices — and the community spirit evident here and across the globe — are a major reason Fredonia edged out the other four towns for the “Small Business Revolution” honor.

Following her appearance and announcement Tuesday, Brinkman took time to greet those committee members as well as Grace Czechowski, who nominated the community for the honor, on the Opera House stage. Through it all, the celebrity seemed to understand the importance this carries for a village — and a region.

“The village of Fredonia is a very old community,” Brinkman noted, highlighting its storied past. “Having the Small Business Revolution come here and earning that, there’s something really wonderful, I think, about the community realizing they’ve just positively affected not only the town for themselves, but the next generation.”

John D’Agostino is the OBSERVER publisher. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 366-3000, ext. 401.