Submitted Photo Laurel Hotelling rides her cycle during a previous Laurel run.

An annual celebration of people with special needs returns for its 28th year when the Laurel Memorial Run/Walk takes place today and Saturday.

The event was created in 1997 by Silver Creek residents Wayne and Elaine Hotelling in honor of their daughter Laurel, who had Down syndrome. Thanks to the support she received from her family, her community and The Resource Center, Laurel had a full and productive life. She passed away in 2017 at the age of 54.

For the first Laurel Run, Wayne jogged and bicycled more than 400 miles across New York State, with support from Elaine. These days, the Laurel Memorial Run/Walk is a two-day celebration of the potential that exists within people who have disabilities.

Activities begin today, July 19. A kickoff ceremony will be held at 8 a.m. in The Resource Center’s facility at 75 Jones & Gifford Avenue in Jamestown. At about 8:30 a.m., the first volunteer runners will set off on the initial leg of the relay run to Dunkirk. Representatives from The Resource Center and area school districts, as well as the Lakeview Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility in Brocton, will run the various legs of the relay while carrying Laurel Run flags. Patrol units from area law enforcement agencies accompany the runners to ensure their safety on the busy roads.

The relay run ends in the parking lot of The Resource Center’s facility at 186 Lake Shore Drive West in Dunkirk. The community is invited to attend the victory celebration and to cheer on the last set of relay runners, who are expected to arrive between 1 p.m. and 1:15 p.m.

For the 12th straight year, several people are planning to jog and/or bike the entire 31-mile relay route. That event is called the Laurel-thon.

The main Laurel Run/Walk activities take place Saturday in Silver Creek. Check-in and registration begin at 7 a.m. in the village square. At 8:30 a.m., a 5-kilometer run/walk and a 1-kilometer fun walk will begin, followed at 9 a.m. by an 8-kilometer running race.

For the 5k and 8k events, medals will be given to the top three male and female finishers in each age group. Besides the individual competition, there will be a team challenge. Awards will be given to the three fastest teams in both the 5k and the 8k, with each team’s time determined by the combined times of its first four finishers.

Saturday’s events also will include fun runs for children age 7 and younger starting at 10 a.m., followed by Laurel’s Legacy Lap, which is for anyone with a disability.

Money raised through the Laurel Run/Walk goes to Filling the Gap, Inc., which works with The Resource Center to improve the lives of people with disabilities and their families in Chautauqua County. Event proceeds are directed to The Resource Center Laurel Run Fund at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation and are used to promote disability awareness initiatives and to enhance employment and work training opportunities for people with disabilities.

To register to participate in one of the events or to make a donation, visit www.laurel-run.com.