Laurel Hotelling was born with Down Syndrome, but that is not what defined her. Laurel was a positive, uplifting person who loved to be the center of attention. She loved to ride her custom bike and to attend Sunday School. But most of all, she loved others, and she was loved.

That love inspired her parents, Wayne and Elaine Hotelling, to start the Laurel Run three decades ago. The event is held each year to celebrate the potential and ability that exists within people, regardless of their disabilities.

While Laurel, the namesake of the race, passed away in November of 2017, her legacy continues to live on in the community each year through the Laurel Run. Runners of all ages return each year to participate in the event.

On Friday afternoon, as the annual event wrapped up its first of two days, Wayne Hotelling said of the impact the community support of the event has had on him, “If I really showed my feelings, I wouldn’t be able to talk.”

Joel Newburg crosses Lake Shore Drive to complete the Laurel-thon on Friday morning. Newburg completed the 31-mile journey on foot at 11:30 a.m. on Friday.

A few minutes later, when he considered the amount of money that has been raised by so many people who have supported the event, his eyes filled with tears. “It’s that kind of feeling,” he said as he pointed to the tears in his eyes.

This year, in the 30th year of the race, three participants made one of the biggest impacts of any in the event’s history.

Keith Mackowiak convinced his friends Joel Newburg and Mike Pietrkiewicz to participate in the Laurel-thon, a journey beginning in Jamestown on Friday morning and culminating in Dunkirk at the Resource Center. Due to injury, Mackowiak could not run the course, but instead, he rode a bike the entire way. He circled back on several occasions to meet up with other participants throughout the day.

“I’m happy that I had two good friends come out and do it,” Mackowiak said. “It’s just cool to be able to do something that my family has been a part of at the Resource Center for a long time.”

The reason why was simple. Mackowiak wanted to honor his brother, Eric.

Keith Mackowiak crosses the finish line of the Laurel-thon on his bike at the Resource Center in Dunkirk on Friday morning.

Eric Mackowiak passed away on May 18, 2009, at the age of 34. He, like Laurel, lived an impactful life with Down Syndrome. Eric was friends with Laurel, and he looked forward to the Laurel Run each year. He even completed the 5-kilometer walk in 2007, after training for months and proudly sharing his plans to participate with anyone who would listen. He was diagnosed with cancer before he could participate again, and passed away in 2009.

In memory of his brother, Keith Mackowiak set up a fundraiser this year to benefit the Laurel Run. The impact was tremendous. More than $8,000 was raised for Mackowiak, Newburg, and Pietrkiewicz to participate in the Laurel-thon.

“That was pretty cool to see,” Mackowiak said.

Mackowiak was inspired by not only his brother, but anyone with Down Syndrome and other disabilities. “Growing up with those types of people, I’ve been really blessed to see a different aspect of life that other people don’t really get to see,” he said.

Newburg showed up to support his friend, who he called an inspiration to him. “I was glad to step up and show my support,” Newburg said. “We got a lot of donations, so I wanted to perform well for those people.”

Mike Pietrkiewicz runs the final stretch of the Laurel-thon as Keith Mackowiak follows on his bike Friday afternoon.

Newburg was the first runner to finish the event on foot, and Mackowiak joined him across the finish line on his bike. They left Jamestown at approximately 7 a.m., Friday, and arrived at the Resource Center in Dunkirk at 11:30 a.m.

“I am proud of myself. I was thinking of how cool it is to run from Jamestown to Dunkirk, because I’ve made that drive a thousand times. Until a month ago, I would have never thought that I would run it,” Newburg said.

Newburg set a personal record with Friday’s time. With his sights on a 100-mile run in October, the Laurel-thon was an impactful way to further his training. His two young daughters, ages 6 and 8, were waiting for him at the Resource Center, cheering him on as he emerged from the smoke along Brigham Road.

“It’s really great to show that I’m not going to give up when things get hard,” Newburg said. “I quit a lot of stuff when I was a little kid, and now I make it a point to not ever quit things once I start them. … For anybody that wants to start running, it just takes one step at a time. Everybody starts at their own pace. It’s a great mental challenge that carries over into real life in so many ways.”

Pietrkiewicz arrived later in the day, at 12:15 p.m., setting a new personal best in distance. In between Newburg and Pietrkiewicz, Ray Graf led three Silver Creek athletes – Nate Mays, Leah Mays, and Emma Golembieski – from Fredonia to the Resource Center to complete the final four-mile leg of the relay. A few other participants completed portions of the relay throughout the day, but other runners and school districts opted out of the event due to the poor air quality from the Canadian wildfires.

Pictured are Silver Creek runners Emma Golembieski, left, Leah Mays, back left, Ray Graf, center, and Nate Mays, right, participating in the Laurel Run relay as they arrived at the Resource Center in Dunkirk on Friday afternoon.

Holding the celebration at the Resource Center each year to kick off the event holds special meaning to the Hotellings. The Resource Center is not just a place that benefits individuals with disabilities – it is also where Laurel spent several years of her life. She was a popular figure within the walls of the Resource Center.

This year is the final year that the Hotellings are involved with coordinating the event. It will continue in future years with the support of so many others who have helped the event become what it has over the past three decades.

Wayne Hotelling likened the support of so many others to a Christmas tree. While they have served as the faces of the event atop the tree, so many others have branched out and supported the event.

“There are just so many people behind the scenes that you never see,” Elaine Hotelling said.

Even though they will be passing the torch, Wayne and Elaine Hotelling will still be around to cheer on the success of the event, just as they cheered on the participants on Friday.

The Laurel Memorial Run/Walk continues today in Silver Creek, where the Hotellings made their home throughout Laurel’s life. The event 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.