Also, for the first time this year, a special edition of The Post-Journal in Jamestown joined in the event.

Wayne and Elaine Hotelling said that the sales for the special edition were just as good, if not better, than they had been in past years. “We broke a record as to the amount of money we were able to bring in,” said Elaine Hotelling. “People are very generous. Very few will ignore us and a lot of them will give extra money.”

While the Hotellings live in Silver Creek, and normally go to one of the closer venues to sell, this year they went out to the Tim Hortons in Gowanda to join their friend and longtime contributor to the cause, Peter Palmer.

“He has been the person who has been the stabilizer over there,” said Wayne Hotelling. “But he’s been dealing with blindness for a while now, so we went over there. We had, I think, one of the two best days that they’d ever experienced there.”

OBSERVER Photo by Anthony Dolce From left are Jamison Quinn, Simon Price, Simon Davis, Micah Davis, Matt Lotter, Steve Gromala, and Justin Sherlock sell the special edition Laurel Memorial Run and Walk newspaper at the Tim Hortons on Bennett Road in Fredonia.

The special edition OBSERVER first went on sale in 2007 to benefit the Laurel Run. Even though the Hotellings themselves were not in Silver Creek this year, Wayne Hotelling learned that they reported record numbers as well, with the assistance of some special sellers.

“Our Senator George Borello and (Silver Creek) Mayor Jeff Hornburg were out there selling,” Hotelling said. “We got good numbers there, Irving, and Forestville. In Forestville they had 75 copies of the paper and brought in over $200. For a dollar per paper, that’s pretty good. If you have people who are well known, respected, caring, and involved with something like this, that makes all the difference in the world.”

Final totals on the sale will not be available until later today.

In their travels across the state, the Hotellings have received support at a number of places they have visited. One trip downstate, Wayne and Elaine received a sign and a pin from a group of residents at an agency similar to The Resource Center, with the pin saying, “The only real disability is attitude.” Wayne Hotelling said that this piece of advice is applicable everywhere.

“I thought that was terrific,” Hotelling said. “That applies to everybody.”

Proceeds from the sales of both the special edition Laurel Run/Walk OBSERVER and Post-Journal will benefit people with disabilities through the Resource Center and Filling the Gap, Inc.