Category "News"

Kwik Fill raising money for Laurel Memorial Run/Walk

June 28, 2022

 

Area residents can show their support for people with disabilities by buying a special card at Kwik Fill.

From July 1 through July 16, United Refining Company’s Kwik Fill and Red Apple Food Mart locations will be selling paper cards to raise money for the 26th annual Laurel Memorial Run and Walk.  This is the 19th year that Laurel Run/Walk organizers have partnered with United Refining.

The cards will be sold primarily at participating locations in Chautauqua and Erie counties in New York, and in Warren County, PA.  Customers who buy a card can write their name on it and have it displayed in the store.  The suggested contribution is $1, but donations of any amount are appreciated.  Donation containers also will be set up in some locations, and people can put money in the containers if they’d prefer not to write their name on a card. 

All of the money raised in Chautauqua County will go to Filling the Gap, which works with The Resource Center to improve the lives of people with disabilities and their families.  Money raised in Erie and Warren counties will be split with organizations that support people with disabilities in each of those counties.  In Erie County, proceeds from the sneaker sales will be split with The Arc of Erie County; in Warren County, money will be split with the Barber National Institute’s Bollinger Campus.

The Laurel Memorial Run/Walk was created by Wayne and Elaine Hotelling of Silver Creek, NY, in honor of their oldest daughter, who had Down syndrome.  The event seeks to raise public awareness about individuals with disabilities while providing an opportunity for people with disabling conditions, and those without, to come together at a fun, family-friendly event.

Proceeds from the Laurel Memorial Run/Walk are used to enhance employment and work training opportunities for people with disabilities.

This year’s Laurel Memorial Run/Walk takes place July 15 and 16.  The first day consists of a relay run and a 30-mile endurance run from Jamestown to Dunkirk.  The following day in Silver Creek there will be an 8-kilometer run, a 5k fitness walk, a 1k fun walk, children’s runs, and “Laurel’s Legacy Lap,” in which people with disabilities take a lap around the track at the village ball field.

For more information about the Laurel Memorial Run/Walk, phone (716) 661-4735 

Panera to hold Laurel Run/Walk fund-raiser June 29

June 22, 2022

The Panera restaurant in Lakewood will hold a fund-raiser June 29 to benefit people with disabilities through the 26th annual Laurel Memorial Run & Walk.

The Panera on Mall Boulevard in Lakewood will allow patrons to have 20 percent of their check total donated to Laurel Run.  This promotion is valid on dine-in orders, drive-thru, pickup, and delivery.  The promotion runs all day for online orders, but is only valid from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. for people who dine in the cafe.

People must present a special voucher in order for the money to be donated to Laurel Run.  The voucher can be found below!  You can have a voucher faxed or emailed to you by phoning 716-661-4735.  People ordering online should use the promotion code FUND4U during checkout.

Please be aware that for the Panera fund-raiser, people will not receive a discount on the cost of their meal.  Rather, 20 percent of what they pay for their meal will be donated to Laurel Run.

Wayne and Elaine Hotelling created Laurel Run in 1997 in honor of their oldest daughter.  

The Laurel Memorial Run & Walk is a celebration of the potential that exists within people who have disabilities.  Laurel led a full life, which included having a job at The Resource Center’s Dunkirk Work Center for more than 30 years.  Hundreds of Chautauqua County residents with disabilities have jobs – and hundreds of others volunteer in the community – with support from The Resource Center.

The Laurel Memorial Run/Walk takes place July 15 and 16.  The first day features a Jamestown-to-Dunkirk relay run, while day two includes a number of walking and running events in the Hotellings’ hometown of Silver Creek.  Money raised through Laurel Run goes to Filling the Gap, Inc., which works with The Resource Center to improve the lives of people with disabilities and their families in Western New York.  For more information, visit the Laurel Run web site or phone 716-661-4735.

Applebee’s to raise money for Laurel Memorial Run & Walk June 29

June 22, 2022

People who eat at Applebee’s on June 29 can help raise money to support people with disabilities through the 26th annual Laurel Memorial Run & Walk.

All day long, the Applebee’s restaurants in Dunkirk and Lakewood will hold “Dining to Donate” fund-raisers to benefit the Laurel Memorial Run/Walk.  The restaurants will allow patrons to have 10 percent of their check total – excluding tax and tip – donated to Laurel Run.  People must present a special voucher in order for the money to be donated to Laurel Run.  The voucher can be found below!  You can have a voucher faxed or emailed to you by phoning 716-661-4735.

Please be aware that for the Applebee’s fund-raisers, people will not receive a discount on the cost of their meal.  Rather, 10 percent of what they pay for their meal will be donated to Laurel Run.

Wayne and Elaine Hotelling created Laurel Run in 1997 in honor of their oldest daughter.  

The Laurel Memorial Run & Walk is a celebration of the potential that exists within people who have disabilities.  Laurel led a full life, which included having a job at The Resource Center’s Dunkirk Work Center for more than 30 years.  Hundreds of Chautauqua County residents with disabilities have jobs – and hundreds of others volunteer in the community – with support from The Resource Center.

The Laurel Memorial Run/Walk takes place July 15 and 16.  The first day features a Jamestown-to-Dunkirk relay run, while day two includes a number of walking and running events in the Hotellings’ hometown of Silver Creek.  Money raised through Laurel Run goes to Filling the Gap, Inc., which works with The Resource Center to improve the lives of people with disabilities and their families in Western New York.  For more information, visit the Laurel Run web site or phone 716-661-4735.

ACME The Appliance Store Donates Weber Gas Grill to TRC Golf Classic

June 7, 2022

Dan and Beth Hocking, Owners of ACME The Appliance Store, recently donated a Weber Gas Grill that will be used for a drawing to support the 26th Annual TRC Golf Classic.

The TRC Golf Classic is the major annual fund-raising event for Filling the Gap, Inc., a Jamestown-based non-profit organization that works with The Resource Center to support people with disabilities and other socioeconomic challenges in Chautauqua County. In its first 25 years, the tournament has netted close to $1.7 million for the TRC Foundation Fund, which raises money to improve the lives of people with disabling conditions in Chautauqua County.

 “We are very thankful for The Resource Center and the positive and lasting impact they have on our community,” said Dan Hocking.  “ACME The Appliance Store is honored to donate this Weber Gas Grill to help raise money for the TRC Golf Classic.  With Summer right around the corner, this will be a very desirable item!  Beth and I are strong believers in giving back to the community.  The Resource Center makes a difference in people’s lives on a daily basis, and we are happy to continue to support their efforts.”

The 2022 TRC Golf Classic is scheduled for July 25 at Moon Brook Country Club in Jamestown.  For more information or to sponsor, please visit www.trcgolfclassic.com

Picture:  l to r – Josh Holsinger, Special Olympics Athlete; Matt Carlson, Special Olympics Athlete; and Dan Hocking, Co-Owner, ACME The Appliance Store

Virtual “Blingo” fund-raiser to take place in April

March 4, 2022

CAPTION: Posing with the items to be given away during the monthlong Blingo prize drawing are Victoria Bardo, left, development and event manager for Filling the Gap, and Cindy Hitchcock, FTG’s vice president of business and finance.

People who enjoy the excitement of a daily prize drawing can take part in the sixth annual “Sassy Baggs & Beyond Blingo” fund-raiser to benefit people with disabilities.

Typically for the Blingo event, people gather at The Resource Center for a night of bingo, with designer handbags as prizes.  That wasn’t possible again this year because of the pandemic, so instead organizers have created a “20 Prizes in 20 Days” event.

Every weekday starting April 4 and lasting through the end of the month, Filling the Gap, Inc., will hold a drawing for one of 20 prizes.  Items include handbags, gift cards, a smart speaker, a Bluetooth speaker, a vacuum sealer, a blender, a toolkit, and a video doorbell.  All of the prizes can be viewed at www.fillingthegap.net.

The online version of Blingo was introduced last year because of the pandemic.  Victoria Trass Bardo, development and events manager at Filling the Gap, said that while The Resource Center and Filling the Gap hope their other traditional community events can be held this year, organizers couldn’t bring a large group of people together for Blingo.

“We were optimistic about hosting an in-person, fun-filled event in 2022, but it is not possible given the guidelines we are following at this time,” said Bardo, adding that the online Blingo will follow the same format as last year.

“Our 2021 Blingo event was such a success that we are planning on an online event once again this year.  There are 20 awesome items up for grabs.  We hope these unique items will inspire everyone to purchase their tickets soon,” she said.

A $20 ticket gives the buyer one chance in each of the daily drawings.  People can improve their odds of winning by buying multiple tickets.  Tickets can be bought online at the Filling the Gap web site or in person at the Felice Corporate Center, 92 Fairmount Avenue in Jamestown, and The Resource Center’s administrative offices at 200 Dunham Avenue in Celoron.  Tickets can be purchased until March 31.

The Blingo event is being organized by Filling the Gap, which works with The Resource Center to improve the lives of people with disabilities in Chautauqua County.  Proceeds will benefit The Resource Center Look Good Fund at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation.  The Look Good Fund supports people with disabilities in areas such as personal care, personal appearance, clothing, protective gear, and transportation.  The fund was established by the late Margaret Look, who in the 1960s and ‘70s was a member of The Resource Center’s board of directors and was news editor at The Post-Journal.

Other events scheduled for this year include a Slow Roll Pedal Party on June 18 in Dunkirk; the Laurel Memorial Run and Walk on July 15 and 16; the TRC Golf Classic on July 25; the Mark Pacheco WOW Fund Lip Sync Battle on August 26; and Step Up for Autism on September 24.  For more information about Blingo or any of the other events conducted by The Resource Center and Filling the Gap, phone Bardo at 716-661-1477.

Filling the Gap awards $81,000 in grants

December 29, 2021

Filling the Gap, Inc., has announced its 2021 grants, awarding $81,277 to support people with disabilities.

Filling the Gap is a Jamestown-based not-for-profit that works with The Resource Center and other organizations to support Chautauqua County residents who are poor, distressed and underprivileged, especially people with disabilities.  Each year, Filling the Gap solicits grant requests from TRC and other organizations within the Filling the Gap network.

This year’s funding requests totaled $242,503.   Filling the Gap’s grants committee studied the requests and recommended which ones to fund, and FTG’s board of directors agreed with the committee’s recommendations.  Some requests were denied because other funding sources are available.

With the amount awarded this year, Filling the Gap has now given out $1,531,695 in grants since 1995.  This year’s awards are as follows:

  • $9,000 to The Resource Center to develop a Project SEARCH Program to provide employability training and workplace internships for youths with significant disabilities.
  • $8,490 to TRC Community Health Center for a mapping system to measure and visualize the pressure between a person and a surface.  This system will justify the need for pressure-relieving cushions, mattresses and wheelchair parts.
  • $8,000 to TEAM Services for transportation vouchers.
  • $7,385 to TRC for annual updates and new technology for its robot that is used by staff to enhance the communication and social skills of people with autism.
  • $5,000 to TRC’s Counseling and Psychiatric Services to facilitate the purchase of equipment and supplies for a mental health play-therapy room to assist children and adolescents in recovering from exposure to traumatic events.
  • $5,000 to TRC to help cover startup costs of opening a second School-Based Health Center within the Jamestown Public Schools system.
  • $5,000 to TRC to support advocacy initiatives.
  • $5,000 to TRC’s staff assistance program to help TRC and FTG employees people overcome barriers that could negatively impact their jobs.
  • $5,000 to TRC to support supervisory training.
  • $5,000 to TRC to translate human resources documents and trainings into Spanish to assist employees whose primary language is Spanish.
  • $4,000 to TRC Community Health Center to buy a treadmill and vital-signs monitor for the physical therapy department.
  • $3,000 to TRC to cover the costs of holding a Slow Roll Pedal Party inclusive cycling event in Dunkirk.
  • $3,000 to the Chautauqua Connections Children’s Coalition.
  • $2,000 to TRC to support structured skill-development programs within its “Gateways” and “Passages” Personalized Recovery Oriented Services programs.
  • $2,000 to TRC Community Health Center to buy equipment and supplies for the occupational therapy department.
  • $2,000 to TRC Community Health Center to buy equipment and supplies for the speech therapy department.
  • $1,000 to TRC to help fund construction of a replica of our Carl Cappa Building at the Chautauqua Safety Village.
  • $1,000 to TRC to support the Sprout Film Festival.
  • $500 to TRC’s Counseling & Psychiatric Services for health equipment and supplies.
  • $452 to TRC’s Primary Care Office to buy equipment and supplies.

In addition, Filling the Gap’s board approved a request from The Resource Center to direct the proceeds from this year’s TRC Golf Classic (about $44,000) toward the purchase and installation of overhead lift systems at two TRC homes.

Filling the Gap officials are proud they could provide money to support a variety of initiatives.

“Filling the Gap is happy to continue awarding grants to The Resource Center and the corporations within the FTG network.  We were especially glad to be able to fund such a diverse variety of requests this year,” said Cindy Hitchcock, vice president of business and finance.

Most of the money for the grants comes from fund-raising events that Filling the Gap facilitates in partnership with The Resource Center.  Proceeds from these events are transferred to the various TRC endowment funds at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation.  The income from these endowment funds is used to fulfill the grant requests.

For more information about Filling the Gap, phone 716-661-1519 or visit www.fillingthegap.net.

Dr. Karli Lucas, Physical Therapist, and Ryan Rice, Physical Therapy Assistant, test the vital signs monitor that was purchased with Filling the Gap grant money.  The monitor will facilitate the accurate and efficient assessment of an individual’s response to exercise.

 

Shayna Caine, Speech Therapist, displays materials that assist with treatment for speech-related conditions.  The materials, purchased with Filling the Gap grant money, assist in addressing delays in the development of speech and language; improving language, memory and reasoning skills affected by stroke, brain injury or neurodegenerative diseases; and treating articulation disorders that cause the mispronunciation of words and sounds.

 

Megan Chappel, Occupational Therapist, and Meredith Sheesley, Adaptive Equipment Coordinator, test the pressure mapping system purchased with Filling the Gap grant money.  This software allows our clinicians to assess and document a patient’s pressure management, posture and comfort needs to develop personalized surface and positioning solutions.  It’s primarily used for wheelchair assessments but can also be utilized for instant and accurate interface pressure data for seat, seat and back, bed, feet or balance.  It is also a valuable biofeedback training tool.

Silver Creek student wins Laurel Run logo contest

June 29, 2021

Ellie Decker of Silver Creek High School was the winner of the competition to design the logo for the 2021 Laurel Memorial Run and Walk.

Each year, the Laurel Run Planning Committee holds a contest among area high school students to design the Laurel Run logo.  Internal voting at The Resource Center and Filling the Gap determines the finalists, and those designs are then featured on the Observer’s web site so people can vote online for their favorite.

Ellie’s design received the most votes in the internal voting and the online voting.   Her design will appear on this year’s Laurel Memorial Run & Walk T-shirts and other promotional materials.  For winning the competition, Ellie will receive a $100 gift card.

The 25th annual Laurel Memorial Run and Walk begins Friday, July 16, with the traditional Jamestown-to-Dunkirk relay run, which features representatives from area schools running the different legs of the relay.   The event begins at about 8:30 at McCrea Point Park on Jones & Gifford Avenue in Jamestown and ends at The Resource Center’s facility at 186 Lake Shore Drive West, where the City of Dunkirk will host a victory celebration from 12:30 to 2:00.

The following morning in Silver Creek, there will be an 8-kilometer run, a 5k fitness walk, a 1k fun walk, children’s runs and Laurel’s Legacy Lap, in which anyone with a disability is invited to talk a lap around the track at the ballfield downtown.

Laurel Run was created by Wayne and Elaine Hotelling in honor of their oldest daughter.  The event is designed to celebrate the achievements of people with disabilities.  Money raised through Laurel Run goes to Filling the Gap, which works with The Resource Center to improve the lives of people with disabilities in Chautauqua County.

For more information or to sign up to participate in Laurel Run, phone 934-3952 or 661-4735, or visit www.laurel-run.com.

Kwik Fill raising money for Laurel Memorial Run/Walk

June 29, 2021

Area residents can show their support for people with disabilities by buying a special card at Kwik Fill.

Event co-founders Elaine and Wayne Hotelling buy some “I proudly support the Laurel Memorial Run/Walk” cards at the Kwik Fill on Routes 5 and 20 in Irving. Looking on is Stacy Blakemore, Store Manager

Through July 18, United Refining Company’s Kwik Fill and Red Apple Food Mart locations will be selling paper cards to raise money for the 25th annual Laurel Memorial Run and Walk.  This is the 18th year that Laurel Run/Walk organizers have partnered with United Refining.

The cards will be sold at participating locations in Chautauqua and Erie counties in New York, and in Warren County, PA.  Customers who buy a card can write their name on it and have it displayed in the store.  The suggested contribution is $1, but donations of any amount are appreciated.  Donation containers also will be set up in some locations, and people can put money in the containers if they’d prefer not to write their name on a card.

All of the money raised in Chautauqua County will go to Filling the Gap, which works with The Resource Center to improve the lives of people with disabilities and their families.  Money raised in Erie and Warren counties will be split with organizations that support people with disabilities in each of those counties.  In Erie County, proceeds from the sneaker sales will be split with The Arc of Erie County; in Warren County, money will be split with the Barber National Institute’s Bollinger Campus

The Laurel Memorial Run/Walk was created by Wayne and Elaine Hotelling of Silver Creek, NY, in honor of their oldest daughter, who had Down syndrome.  The event seeks to raise public awareness about individuals with disabilities while providing an opportunity for people with disabling conditions, and those without, to come together at a fun, family-friendly event.

Proceeds from the Laurel Memorial Run/Walk are used to enhance employment and work training opportunities for people with disabilities.

This year’s Laurel Memorial Run/Walk takes place July 16 and 17.  The first day consists of a relay run and a 30-mile endurance run from Jamestown to Dunkirk.  The following day in Silver Creek there will be an 8-kilometer run, a 5k fitness walk, a 1k fun walk, children’s runs, and “Laurel’s Legacy Lap,” in which people with disabilities take a lap around the track at the village ball field.

For more information about the Laurel Memorial Run/Walk, phone (716) 661-4735 or visit www.laurel-run.com.

This is a copy of the Laurel Memorial Run/Walk support card being sold at Kwik Fill/Red Apple

ACME The Appliance Store Donates 55-inch TV to TRC Golf Classic

June 29, 2021

Dan and Beth Hocking, Owners of ACME The Appliance Store, recently donated a 55 inch Samsung television that will be used for a drawing to support the 25th Anniversary TRC Golf Classic.

The TRC Golf Classic is the major annual fund-raising event for Filling the Gap, Inc., a Jamestown-based non-profit organization that works with The Resource Center to support people with disabilities and other socioeconomic challenges in Chautauqua County.

“We are very thankful for The Resource Center and the positive impact they have on our community,” said Dan Hocking. “ACME The Appliance Store is pleased to help in a small way with this 55-inch, high-definition TV donation to help raise money for the TRC Golf Classic. We are strong believers in giving back to the community. The Resource Center makes a difference in people’s lives on a daily basis, and we are happy to continue to support their efforts.”

The drawing for the TV will take place at the end of the TRC Golf Classic on July 26 at Moon Brook Country Club. For information on how to enter the drawing and purchase tickets, phone 661-1477.

The 2021 TRC Golf Classic is scheduled for July 26 at Moon Brook Country Club in Jamestown. For more information or to sponsor, please visit www.trcgolfclassic.com.

Picture: l to r – Lily Constantino, Community Coach; Abby Adam, Special Olympics Athlete; and Dan Hocking, Co-Owner, ACME The Appliance Store

Lake Shore Savings renews its sponsorship of TRC Golf Classic

June 15, 2021

Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc., the holding company of Lake Shore Savings Bank, announced that its Board of Directors has renewed an agreement to have Lake Shore Savings serve as the presenting sponsor of the TRC Golf Classic for three years.

The TRC Golf Classic is the major annual fund-raising event for Filling the Gap, Inc., a Jamestown-based non-profit organization that works with The Resource Center to support people with disabilities and other socioeconomic challenges in Chautauqua County.

Lake Shore Savings has sponsored the TRC Golf Classic every year since the tournament began in 1997, and since 2012 has been the event’s presenting sponsor.  One of the most successful one-day charity golf tournaments in Southwestern New York, the TRC Golf Classic has netted more than $1.6 million since it began in 1997.

“Lake Shore Savings Bank has been a proud supporter of The Resource Center for the past 25 years,” said Daniel P. Reininga, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Their individualized support services, including residential services, educational and training opportunities, clinical services including primary care, dental, podiatry, physical, speech and occupational therapy, school-based clinic, mental health services, employment services and community habilitation services benefit over 8,000 individuals throughout Chautauqua County and make an impactful difference in the lives of those with disabilities and other challenges. The valuable work of The Resource Center helps to ensure these individuals receive the support they need to achieve maximum independence while contributing to their community and experiencing lifelong growth and quality of life. We are proud to continue to support the ongoing efforts of such a vital organization in our community.”

“Everyone at The Resource Center and Filling the Gap are grateful to Lake Shore Savings for its commitment to continue as the presenting sponsor of the TRC Golf Classic,” said Denise Jones, The Resource Center’s Chief Executive Officer.  “We rely on the generosity of our local business community to make our events successful.  Lake Shore Savings has been one of our most generous corporate partners over the last quarter century.  Their support allows us to fulfill our mission of helping people with disabilities to enjoy meaningful lives.

“On behalf of The Resource Center and the TRC Golf Classic Steering Committee, we applaud Lake Shore Savings Bank for once again agreeing to be the presenting sponsor for the next three TRC Golf Classics.  Lake Shore Savings has been a major sponsor of our event for 25 years.  And, for the last ten years, as presenting sponsor, they have contributed $150,000.  Lake Shore’s motto is ‘Putting People First’ and they have once again lived their mission as a wonderful community partner.  We thank Dan Reininga and the Board at Lake Shore Savings Bank for their generous commitment to the Resource Center and the people we serve,” said Chris Anderson, Chair, and Gregg Bender, Chair Emeritus, TRC Golf Classic.

The 2021 TRC Golf Classic is scheduled for July 26 at Moon Brook Country Club in Jamestown.  For more information or to sponsor, please visit www.trcgolfclassic.com.

Picture:  l to r – Daniel Reininga, President and Chief Executive Officer, Lake Shore Savings Bank; Gregg Bender, TRC Golf Classic Chair Emeritus; Chris Anderson, TRC Golf Classic Chair; Kelly Dimitri, The Resource Center Chief Financial Officer; Adam Dimitri, Vice President, Regional Sales Officer, Lake Shore Savings Bank