July 17-18, 2020 – Silver Creek NY
The Laurel Memorial Run & Walk was created in 1997 by Wayne and Elaine Hotelling of Silver Creek, NY, in honor of their oldest daughter, who had Down syndrome. Laurel Memorial Run & Walk is a celebration of the potential that exists within everyone who has a developmental disability, and it is a reminder that people with disabilities can accomplish great things if they are given the opportunity. Laurel Hotelling worked at The Resource Center’s Dunkirk Work Center for more than 30 years, and Laurel Memorial Run & Walk is dedicated to Laurel’s memory and her co-workers.
Laurel Memorial Run & Walk is a two-day event that takes places each year in mid-July. Day One consists of a relay run from Jamestown to Dunkirk, as well as the “Laurel-thon” in which individuals attempt to cover the entire 30-mile relay route themselves. The next day in Silver Creek, there are walking and running events for adults and children, plus “Laurel’s Lap” for anyone with a disability. Everyone who finishes one of the events receives a participation medal made by people with disabilities at The Resource Center.
Money raised through the Laurel Memorial Run & Walk is used to support disability awareness and prevention activities, as well as to enhance employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
