Laurel Hotelling

Area high school students can put their artistic talents to use by participating in a contest to design the logo for the 2022 Laurel Memorial Run and Walk.

The person who designs the winning entry will receive a $100 gift card to a business of their 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 the Laurel Memorial Run/Walk 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 on a T-shirt. Artists also are 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 25. Internal voting at The Resource Center and Filling the Gap will identify the finalists. The public then will have the opportunity to vote online to help determine the winning design.

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

The 26th annual Laurel Memorial Run/Walk is set for July 15 and 16. The traditional Jamestown-to-Dunkirk relay run will take place Friday, July 16.

The following morning in Silver Creek, there will be an 8-kilometer running race, a 5k walk, a 1k fun walk, children’s runs, and “Laurel’s Memorial Lap” (for anyone with a disability). Some of those activities may need to be adjusted based on the status of the pandemic.

For more information about the logo contest or the Laurel Memorial Run/Walk, phone 716-661-4735.