“If I remember right, she got 18 inches, but she was so proud of that,” Wayne Hotelling said.

That memory lived in his mind as he saw the pavilion at the Resource Center filled with runners and supporters at the 28th annual Laurel Run.

“It takes so little to make people feel really good,” Wayne Hotelling said. “We want to keep providing as many resources as we can.”

The 28th annual Laurel Run commenced Friday with the relay portion of the festivities in honor of Laurel Hotelling, a beloved member of the Silver Creek community who lived an impactful life with Down’s Syndrome. Laurel passed away in 2017.

Runners arrived at the Resource Center in Dunkirk on Friday afternoon to celebrate the first day of the annual Laurel Run to benefit the Resource Center.

“Just seeing all of these people, it’s amazing,” Wayne Hotelling said. “Laurel would be smiling so wide. She would be so happy.”

Runners arrived at the Resource Center just before 1 p.m., Friday, but two runners shared a much more challenging journey than their counterparts.

Sisters Janelle and Jaylah Cossin traveled more than 30 by foot and bike on Friday, from the Resource Center in Jamestown to the Dunkirk office on Lake Shore Drive and Brigham Road, to raise money and awareness for the annual Laurel Run. Friday was the sixth straight year the sisters made the trip. Their younger sister, Joy, drove the route with food and water to support them on the journey, just as she did for the first time last year. She even had the family’s three dogs along for the ride for moral support.

On Friday, just as they did a year ago, the Cossin sisters arrived before the rest of the runners, then met up with the group as they traveled up Brigham Road to finish at the Resource Center. A photo of Laurel proudly riding her bike was featured on a flag carried by one of the runners, Ray Graf, as the group arrived.

Every year they have made the trip, the Cossin sisters have raised approximately $1,000 for the Resource Center. They often see notifications of donations as they are running or biking from Jamestown to Dunkirk, which motivates them to keep going. They hit their target again this year, reaching $1,000 as they arrived at the Resource Center.

Jaylah Cossin, right, and Janelle Cossin, second from right, traveled from the Resource Center in Jamestown to the Dunkirk office on Lake Shore Drive and Brigham Road. They met with clients of the Resource Center once they arrived.

The Cossin sisters were motivated to come up with a grand gesture to remember their friend, Laurel, whom they formed a bond with throughout their childhood at the First United Presbyterian Church in Silver Creek.

After Laurel passed away, the Cossin sisters came up with the idea of traveling from one Resource Center to the other across the county to honor the legacy she left behind. Laurel loved to ride her custom bike, so the Cossin sisters make sure to alternate between running and biking along the journey.

Laurel’s energy was infectious, as her joyous personality always persisted through the many obstacles she faced in life. Jaylah Cossin recalled how Laurel would always be the life of the party every Sunday when she joined the Cossin sisters for Sunday School.

“She would say the sweetest things in the funniest way, all the time,” Jaylah Cossin said of Laurel. “When we had Sunday School together, the whole time she was entertaining us with stories, telling us about her day, telling us about her nails she just got done. She was just the sweetest thing. She would have all of us laughing and smiling the whole time.”

Laurel’s demeanor left an impact on Jaylah and Janelle Cossin, just as it did on the community that keeps her legacy alive. Janelle Cossin said Laurel taught her “just to keep pushing and keep going. We all have obstacles and hard things in our lives. Just smile and keep going.”

Runners arrived at the Resource Center in Dunkirk on Friday afternoon to celebrate the first day of the annual Laurel Run to benefit the Resource Center.

Jaylah Cossin added, “You can make every day a good day.”

The Laurel Run helps to continue the impact Laurel has on the community, spreading love and joy, just as she did throughout her 54 years of life.

“It’s been amazing. The first year when Wayne Hotelling did this, it was just supposed to be a one-year thing,” said Steve Waterson, The Resource Center community relations director. “… He encountered so many well-wishers and got such positive feedback from people across the state about what he was doing to raise awareness about people with developmental disabilities, he decided to make it an annual event.”

The Laurel Memorial Run/Walk continues today in Silver Creek, where the Hotellings made their home throughout Laurel’s life. The event, in its 28th year in its current format, features a 5K run/walk; an 8K run; a 1K Fun Walk; children’s runs; and Laurel’s Lap, designated for anyone with a disability.

“The mission of getting the message across that people with disabilities can accomplish great things if they are given a chance to prove themselves, it’s something that resonates with people. This is an event every year that allows us to remind people of that fact,” Waterson said.

Waterson commended the involvement of local school districts, the Lakeview Shock Correctional Facility, and the runners willing to participate in the event for their efforts to support people with developmental disabilities.

“We’re grateful for the folks that have been here, year in and year out. It’s nice to keep that tradition going,” Waterson said. “It’s been fantastic to see the support that we get, year after year.”

Both Jaylah and Janelle Cossin participated in the event growing up as athletes in Silver Creek. Jaylah Cossin even went on to play college soccer at SUNY Brockport. Jaylah graduated last month with a degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology, and plans to pursue a Master’s Degree in Social Work. Janelle, who now lives in Columbus, Ohio, returned to the area this weekend for the event.

“It’s kind of become a routine,” Jaylah Cossin said, noting each year she and her sister train for the event and even pick out an outfit to be ready for the festivities.

Janelle Cossin said the goal of reaching The Resource Center and seeing so many smiling faces is what keeps her going along the journey. The sisters gave plenty of hugs and took photos with clients of the Resource Center and supporters in the community when they arrived. Jaylah Cossin said “doing something bigger than us” keeps her focused.

The Laurel Run, through its many festivities and platforms, provides two days each year to celebrate the potential and ability that exists within people, regardless of their disabilities.

“(The event) shows you what they can do, and how important they are to society. They are not to be pushed aside and they are not to be placed somewhere they can’t be seen. They need to be out in the public to be accepted, just like the rest of us,” Wayne Hotelling said.

While the namesake of the race has passed away, the impression she left on the community as a whole has not faded a bit. Even though seemingly everyone who knew her had a special moment that stood out when they thought of Laurel, her father, Wayne, was impacted more than anyone by raising such a special person.

Upon Laurel’s death, Wayne Hotelling thought to himself, “God, thank you so much for giving Laurel to us.”