Submitted Photo Laurel Hotelling, left, sits as Dunkirk Mayor Wilfred Rosas issues a proclamation for the Laurel Run in Dunkirk in 2016 as Wayne and Elaine Hotelling look on.

Wednesday morning marked a milestone for both the Laurel Run and the OBSERVER. As volunteers took to area streets and a number of area Tim Hortons locations in the north and south county, it marked the 20th special edition sale for the Dunkirk daily.

Through those years, the impact on the community begins to add up. That first special edition of the OBSERVER was to raise awareness for Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis, which is better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. At that time, the family of Billy Mead asked us to begin the newspaper sale that would focus on an annual 5k run for research.

As is usually the case, the community rallied behind the effort. The race, in honor and memory of Mead, was run for seven years and raised more than $500,000 for Project ALS, a non-profit that funds numerous ALS research studies.

When the family decided to end the race, The Resource Center and the Laurel Run entered the picture. Thanks to the efforts Wayne, Elaine and Laurel Hotelling, the event became larger. Originally, newspapers were sold only in the Dunkirk-Fredonia area. With Laurel Run, which was a Jamestown to Silver Creek event, the sale grew into Silver Creek and Forestville with The Post-Journal joining in 2021.

From 2002 to 2022 — with no sale during the summer of 2020 due to the pandemic — there has been more than $68,000 raised to benefit the two organizations and more than 59,000 newspapers sold by some 550 volunteers. All those events make for some long days.

Dedicated and tireless Wayne Hotelling has begun each Laurel Run edition sale day long before 4 a.m. when he arrives to pick up the papers. For he and his wife, the Run has defined their last 26 years. Named after the couple’s daughter Laurel, who died in 2017, the event is filled with magic for so many who face daily challenges in life.

“When Laurel was born, we were nomads in the desert,” Hotelling told OBSERVER staff writer Anthony Dolce this week. “We started working with the physical aspects and started searching around and found our first services. It was basic, but as time went on and the Resource Center and Laurel grew, it got better. She had a job for 32 years that she took pride in. It’s all so meaningful.”

One of the most significant moments of covering the Hotellings occurred in April 2015 when the The Resource Center’s board room was named in recognition of the three for their efforts to bring awareness while helping those affected. During that event, a longtime — and former neighbor — of the Hotellings spoke of the importance of what has been accomplished through the annual run.

“For me, it was such an honor to grow up next to the Hotellings and to Laurel,” Nickey Riczker said. “It really showed me how important it is for individuals with disabilities to participate as members of the community without any sort of distinction about what they can and can’t do.”

Proceeds from the sales go to Filling the Gap, Inc., which encourages and supports the development of services for Chautauqua County residents who are poor, distressed and underprivileged, especially people with disabilities. This year’s Laurel Memorial Run takes place with the relay from Jamestown to Dunkirk on Friday, July 16 and the annual Run on Saturday, July 17 in Silver Creek.

Our thanks to all the volunteers who helped with this year’s sale. They include: Victoria Trass Bardo, John Bailey, Kayla Bohall, state Sen. George Borrello, Marlene Bradigan, Elizabeth DeRosa, Gracia Domenico, Scott Forster, Greg Fye, Ashley Hammond, Cindy Hitchcock, Silver Creek Mayor Jeff Hornburg, Beth Jermain, Bill and Liz Kraft, Lynn Krone, Don Munch, John Olszewski, Jacqueline Phelps, Matt Rhinehart, Steve Schmitt, Karen Smith, John Stonefoot, Laurie Strong, Jim Tyka, David Wilson, Steve Waterson, Gloria Yeager and Jane Young.

In addition, players and coaches of three Fredonia High School teams assisted. From the boys soccer team were: Calder Annear, Aiden Czekanski, Aaron Pietro, Jack Pietro, Kadin Ritenburg, Oliver Ritenburg and Jim Rush.

From girls soccer: Rylee Beers, Emma Patterson, Francesca Pucci, Dan Tomaszewski and Bailey Wegrzynowski.

From football: Joey Brown, Kevin Brown, Collin Crowell, Micah Davis, Ethan Fry, Steve Gromala, Ethan Hawk, Brady Helmer, Dean Hemminger, Dominic Hitchcock, Simon Price, Jameson Quinn, Jim Quinn, Owen Rush and Justin Sherlock.

John D’Agostino is the editor of the OBSERVER, The Post-Journal and Times Observer in Warren, Pa. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 716-366-3000, ext. 253.