Volunteers throughout the county could be seen selling papers from Jamestown to Dunkirk and Fredonia to raise money for the Resource Center. Newspapers were on sale for $2 on Wednesday and sold out at multiple locations.

“I don’t know what it was. We seemed to be engaging with people more this year. People were extremely generous,” said Steve Waterson, Director of Community Relations at the Resource Center. “The weather was great, and we had wonderful celebrity sellers this year. … It went very, very well.”

Student-athletes from Fredonia High School sold newspapers downtown in Fredonia and at Tim Hortons, where locations all throughout the county welcomed volunteers to sell papers to customers walking in the doors and waiting in the drive-through lane. Waterson gave a special thanks to Tim Hortons franchise owners Dave and Gina Kron for allowing sales at their various locations, which were among the OBSERVER’s best selling spots in the region. He also credited the locations in Jamestown, overseen by Blake Tarana.

Among the many well-known volunteers selling papers across the county on Wednesday were Senator George Borrello, Chautauqua County Sheriff Jim Quattrone, Silver Creek Mayor Kathy Tampio, and several members of the Jamestown Police Department, including Chief Scott Forster, Deputy Chief Adam McKinley and Officer Greg Fye. Nestle Purina also had employees selling papers to their colleagues, and volunteers at Chautauqua Health and Fitness sold papers to their guests.

Fredonia High School students kept up the annual tradition of selling special editions of the OBSERVER to highlight the Laurel Run. Female students are pictured beside the drive-through lane of Tim Hortons on Lake Shore Drive in Dunkirk, while male students are shown in downtown Fredonia at Barker Commons.

As always, Laurel Run founders Wayne and Elaine Hotelling were out selling papers in honor of their daughter, Laurel Hotelling, the namesake of the event. Employees of the Resource Center and Filling the Gap contributed to the efforts, as well.

“We get so many people that come through and say they were waiting for this, that they come out and buy a paper every year,” Waterson said. “We always have the opportunity to connect with some new people that don’t know anything about it, too. … Most people are more than happy to share a few dollars with us.”

All of the volunteers and customers made this year the most successful day of sales since the special edition began in 2007. The money raised from the special edition sales, just like the proceeds from the Laurel Run itself, will be directed to the Resource Center Laurel Run Fund at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation and will be used mainly to enhance employment and work training opportunities for people with disabilities.

A portion of the money raised from last year’s event went toward renovating the Resource Center’s sensory rooms in the occupational therapy spaces in Dunkirk and Jamestown. Summer camps for children with disabilities and their siblings also benefited from the funds raised over the past year. New this year, a portion of the money raised will benefit the Dr. John Vona “Smile” Fund to provide dental services to people with disabilities.

The Laurel Run will celebrate its 30th year with a relay run ending at the Resource Center in Dunkirk on Friday afternoon. Then, on Saturday, the Laurel Memorial Run/Walk will be held in Silver Creek, featuring an 8-kilometer run, a 5-kilometer run, a 5-kilometer walk, children’s fun runs, and Laurel’s Lap, designed for individuals with disabilities.

The Laurel Memorial Run is held 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 November of 2017.

Through its many festivities and platforms, the Laurel Run provides two days each year to celebrate the potential and ability that exists within people, regardless of their disabilities. Runners of all ages return each year to participate in the event. While the namesake of the race has passed away, Laurel’s legacy continues to live on in the community.

“The message that people with disabilities can accomplish great things if they are given the opportunity to prove themselves has really resonated with people,” Waterson said. “Kudos to the Hotellings for being able to keep this thing going for 30 years. It’s their drive and energy that has made it so successful and enabled them to connect themselves and Laurel, and the meaning of the event, to so many people.”