10^th annual Parade of Lights set for 6 p.m. Saturday in Medina

MEDINA – It officially started in September, when a company-wide email went around looking for ideas for the float in the Parade of Lights. Takeform Architectural Graphics entered for the first time last year and won the grand prize, creating a display of Medina landmarks that were lighted up on a flatbed trailer.

Takeform employees enjoyed making the float a year ago, and giving the community a glimpse on what the company makes at its Maple Ridge Road manufacturing plant. Takeform designs signs and creates architectural graphics for many hospitals and other businesses. The company started in 2003 with nine workers and now has 175.

“It brought awareness in the community to our company,” said Ellen Eaton, who works in human resources for Takeform and is on the parade committee. “We want to show the community that we’re here and this is what we do.”

Claire Owens, a Takeform employee, uses strips of clear tape to thatch grass on the roof of the tiki bar.

The process for a new float started with that email in September, soliciting ideas. However, many employees have been thinking of themes after last year’s parade ended in late November.

Employees sent in ideas and a parade committee liked the concept of a Tropical Christmas. Lindsay Minar, an experiential designer for Takeform, submitted that idea.

Takeform designed these characters for the tropical-themed float.

The committee saw a lot of possibilities with a Tropical Christmas. In the past two months, the Takeform employees have been designing pieces for the float, which will include a Santa on a surf board, riding a giant wave. They have created a tiki bar, palm trees and many other Christmas characters wearing Hawaiian shirts and shorts.

“Last year we built a float that was focused on the judges,” said Andrew Szatkowski, quality control manager for Takeform and one of the parade committee members. “This year I am excited for the children. This will be a bright and brilliant float.”

The employees have worked on the float when they get a few spare moments. It’s been busy at Takeform as the company is expanding. Takeform just moved into a new 15,500-square-foot addition to a 30,000-plus-square-foot building at 11601 Maple Ridge Rd.

Eaton said the company is always looking for talented and dedicated employees. Some applicants this past year said they learned about Takeform from last year’s float, Eaton said.

Andrew Szatkowski and Frank Bennett discuss how to best light up the panels for the float.

Designing and building the float is also a lot of fun, Szatkowski said. Employees will bring their children today and Saturday to set up on the float on the flatbed trailer. They are coming in on their own time because the Takeform factory is closed during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Szatkowski said Takeform encourages team-building among the employees. The company has a bowling tournament, 5K run, corn hole tournament and tailgate parties to boost camaraderie.

Takeform’s parade committee gave a sneak peek of the float on Wednesday to the Orleans Hub, but they didn’t want to show too much until the 6 p.m. parade on Saturday. They are also working through some challenges.

They have translucent panels mounted on 2-by-4’s. They are figuring out the best way to put lights in the panels.

Today and Saturday about 15 to 20 employees will be volunteering to set up the float on a 32-foot-long flatbed trailer.

“It has truly been a team function,” Szatkowski said.

Takeform won the grand prize in last year’s Parade of Lights by creating a scene of Medina on a flatbed trailer.

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Falker family creates Avery’s Pearls, where people are welcome to leave a prayer request

Photo courtesy of Falker family: Avery Falker was born without kidneys and functioning lungs on Nov. 4. She was alive for about 2 hours after her birth. Many people have given elephant-themed gifts in her honor.

MEDINA – A Medina couple is grateful for the many cards and kind gestures they have received from the community since the death of their newborn daughter on Nov. 4.

“It helps to know you’re not alone and that people love you,” said Olivia Falker.

She and her husband Max Falker became parents on Nov. 4 to daughter Avery. She was born without kidneys and functioning lungs. She also had a tumor on her head.

Before the birth, doctors detected the lack of kidneys and the tumor. They feared her lungs weren’t developed because there was low amniotic fluid.

She was born a month premature and weighed 4 pounds, 9 ounces. She was able to breathe for about 15 minutes on her own after her birth at 11:21 a.m.

She passed away at 1:05 p.m. Her funeral service was Nov. 11. Mr. Falker dug his daughter’s grave at East Shelby Cemetery, an act of love for Avery.

In August, the couple learned Avery wasn’t expected to live long after her birth. The Falkers last month announced their plan for Avery’s Pearls. It’s a spot in a wooden hut in their front yard on Pleasant Street in Medina where people are welcome to leave a prayer request, read the Bible and seek peace. They are urged to note a Scripture in the Bible that helped them through a difficult time. The Falkers will often have hot chocolate and coffee for the visitors.

Avery’s Place was unveiled on Nov. 4 and will be available through the Christmas season.

The Falkers have a Korean fir next to the hut and people are welcome to leave an ornament on the tree in memory of a loved one. The tree will eventually bear purple pine cones. Mr. Falker will give the tree a permanent spot on the property.

People have left ornaments, cards and many prayer requests since the Avery’s Pearls was made available about 2 1/2 weeks ago. Many say they are praying for the Falkers. Many have shared their own stories of loss, including the death of a newborn.

Mrs. Falker, 23, said she didn’t know so many people in the Medina area have endured the loss of a child or suffered other heartache.

Many people have left ornaments, cards and other signs of love for the Falker family.

She believes Avery has brought together many people in the community, and inspired them to share some deep wounds. Falker is hopeful those people can find healing, too.

“It’s about helping other people because we have had so many people help us,” she said today at her home.

The couple has received at least 200 cards since their daughter’s death. Many people have dropped off meals, ornaments for the tree, and helped in other ways to honor Avery’s short life. Mr. Falker cited the efforts of one friend who worked overnight to create a wooden cross for Avery’s grave.

During her pregnancy, Mrs. Falker would dream about elephants, a symbol of strength, honor and stability. Many people have left elephant-themed ornaments and gifts in Avery’s honor.

Falker, 30, said he is amazed by the kindness of so many in the community.

“There’s a lot of good people out there,” he said. “We have met so many good people.”

He praised the efforts of the doctors and staff in the neonatal intensive care unit at Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester.

“The doctors and nurses in the NICU are some of the best people you’ll meet in your life,” Falker said.

The Falkers met at the East Shelby Community Bible Church, where they remain active members. The church has been very supportive in consoling the couple and honoring Avery, they said.

The Falkers will move Avery’s Place to their backyard after the holidays, and then they expect to bring it to the front yard again next year so people can again leave their prayer requests.

“My hope is we can do it yearly and honor Avery,” Mrs. Falker said. “It can be useful to others. We want to continue to encourage people to leave prayer requests and to read the Bible.”

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This rendering shows how the statue will look when it is installed atop a monument by the former Medina Armory, which is now the Orleans County YMCA.

MEDINA – The Parade of Lights this Saturday will feature a very special float.

Those who attend the spectacular parade will get the first glimpse of a statue which will be erected atop the monument in front of Medina Armory (YMCA).

The existing monument was an idea of Medina native Bill Menz and pays tribute to the 550 men from Orleans County and the surrounding area who were members of Company F and trained there.

The final piece of the monument, the life-size bronze statue of an infantryman, was delivered to Medina this afternoon by a family friend, John Brown of Batavia, accompanied by Menz’ daughter Lynne Menz, Cathy Fox (whose father was a member of Company F), Kathy Iorio (whose father Butch Whittleton was a member of Company F) and Ginny Kropf, who has covered the story for the media from day one. Meeting them at the University of Buffalo’s foundry was Lynne Stewart, whose father was a member of Company C and also trained at the armory.

Sadly, Menz, at the age of 86, died in July, four months short of seeing completion of his dream.

A veteran himself, Menz first pitched his idea in 2006 to a local World War II veterans’ reunion.

He thought there should be a monument in front of the Medina Armory which would pay tribute, not only to the men who trained there for four world conflicts from 1898 to 1945, but to veterans from all wars. This also included Company C, which trained there from 1947 through 1977, when the National Guard stopped using the building.

With the support of the Sandstone Society, of which Bill was a member, and two years of fundraising, in 2008, the five-sided monument was dedicated, with several World War II veterans and their families in attendance.

Bill’s vision didn’t end there, however, and he began planning for the next phase of his monument – the bronze statue.

Chris Siano, president of the Foundry Group at the University of Buffalo, loads the bronze statue of a Company F statue onto the trailer to be brought back to Medina.

More fundraising ensued to raise an additional $65,000 and on Jan. 16, 2017, sculptor Brian Porter of Pendleton was commissioned to do the statue.

In the following months, Bill, Lynne, Fox and Kropf made visits to Porter’s home to view his progress.

Menz, in a wheelchair, also got to visit the foundry at UB were the firing was done, just 11 days before he died.

Menz may not have been physically present to see the statue returned to Medina, but he was there in spirit. Lynne wore her dad’s Company F sweatshirt, and as her dad insisted every time they visited Lockport, the group stopped at Ted’s Hot Dogs for lunch.

The Company F soldier will be the first where Porter incorporated 3-D imaging to create molds for the cast bronze statue. In the new process, a miniature clay model was scanned with the 3-D technology and data sent to a CNC machine, which cut out thin plywood slices which were then glued together. This wood structure became a subframe on which clay was applied.

From left, Chris Siano, president of the Foundry Group at the University of Buffalo; John Brown, family friend of the late Bill Menz who delivered the Company F statue to Medina; and sculptor Brian Porter of Pendleton work to secure the statue for its ride to Medina, where it will appear in Saturday’s Parade of Lights.

Porter is also an assistant professor of art at Erie Community College, and has created such masterpieces as the United States Seabees Memorial in North Tonawanda. He has also worked with the University of Buffalo to create two statues of graduates to be installed at their North Campus.

The statue’s unveiling at the Parade of Lights at 6 p.m. will be in front of a crowd anticipated to be 10,000 people.

It is interesting to note the parade route is the exact opposite of that taken by those troops when they marched from the Armory to the train station all those years ago.

The statue was met at the Pickle Factory by Shelby Highway Superintendent Mike Fuller who lifted it off the trailer and placed it in storage, where it will be readied for the parade. In the spring, the Medina Department of Public Works will help erect the 1,500-pound statue on the monument at the Armory.

The statue of a pre-World War I doughboy is ready for its return to Medina from the foundry at UB, where it was fired.

Sculptor Brian Porter, center, gets a group hug from the ladies who have been involved with creation of a statue paying tribute to soldiers who trained at the Medina Armory in Company F. From left are Kathy Iorio, Cathy Fox, Porter, Lynne Menz and Lynne Stewart. The statue was returned from the foundry at UB to Medina this afternoon.

The late Bill Menz always had to stop at Ted’s Hot Dogs in Lockport when he went to visit sculptor Brian Porter in Pendleton to check on the progress of the statue being created of a Company F doughboy. In Menz’ honor, his daughter Lynne Menz, left, Kathy Iorio, center, and Cathy Fox stopped at Ted’s on their return from UB, where they accompanied the completed statue to Medina.

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Press Release, Medina Central School

MEDINA – Two distinguished alumni from Medina were recognized on Nov. 8 and inducted into the school’s Wall of Fame.

The Distinguished Alumni Award was created to honor alumni, promote school spirit, foster pride in Medina High School, and serve as an incentive for current students.

Warren Beeton is a graduate from the Class of 1960 where he was the valedictorian. He went on to graduate from Cornell University with a master’s degree in Engineering. He had a successful career as an engineering manager, culminating as Vice President of Engineering for Emerson Climate Technologies, a leading manufacturer of air conditioning and refrigeration compressors. In this role, Beeton and his organization developed cutting-edge, high-efficiency compression technologies now common in air conditioning and refrigeration equipment around the world.

He also assumed worldwide responsibility for government affairs at Emerson Climate Technologies. In his role, he provided leadership for Emerson on the Board of the Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy, where he worked with the US Environmental Protection Agency, State Department and Congress on energy efficiency, stratospheric ozone depletion, and climate change.

He also worked with Congress on the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which included a Cap and Trade provision to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives in 2009. Although it later failed in the Senate, it brought attention to the need for climate change action.

He has published numerous papers and is a frequent speaker on the topic pf energy efficiency and climate change. He is the recipient of the Richard C. Shultze Distinguished Service Award.  He is the co-founder of the Prince William Virginia Chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby and teaches the science of energy and climate change to continuing education students in Northern Virginia.

Binh Hua is a graduate from the Class of 1992 where he served as class president and was a member of the football, wrestling, lacrosse and soccer teams. He graduated from the University of Rochester (majoring in Economics) and was the recipient of the Xerox Award in the Humanities. He received his MBA in Finance from Georgetown University.

He worked on Wall Street and was one of the few students in the world to be hired by both Goldman Sachs and Soros Fund Management. Through his work in finance, he has advised the most powerful companies in the world, including Exxon, Mobil, Goldman Sachs, General Electric, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Bank of America.

He is currently the Managing Director for Falcon Capital Advisors, where he develops the strategy and execution plans for the development of public and private client companies, as well as U.S. government institutions. He is also the co-founder of a private equity company called Boca Capital Group and a former Board Member and Committee Lead for Bethesda Cares, a non-profit organization with over 500 volunteers. Their mission is to prevent, ease and end homelessness in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Mr. Beeton and Mr. Hua graciously took time out of their schedules on Nov. 8 to talk to students before the ceremony.

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Press Release, Medina Central School

MEDINA – Some very generous students at Oak Orchard Elementary School in Medina decided to donate some of their Halloween candy to the men and women who are fighting for our freedom overseas.

“I have heard about how other schools have collected candy for Troops Overseas and I asked our principal, Mrs. Webber, if we can take on this great cause and she graciously accepted,” says third grade teacher Natalie Scott.  “I was overwhelmed that the whole school joined together to help out and came up with 257 pounds of candy to send to our military!”

Mrs. Scott delivered the candy to Winning Smiles in Amherst, along with some cards the students made. Every year the dental office holds their Candy-Buy Back where they offer a $1 a pound to be able to send treats overseas to deployed troops. They drive the candy down to North Carolina for Packs4Patriots who also includes hygiene products, socks and shirts, protein bars, snack foods, coffee and cards and letters from children in care packages to brighten their day.

“This was just a great thing to do and the excitement behind all of this was just endearing,” says Mrs. Scott.

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MEDINA – Members of the Senior Center of Western Orleans filled the Senior Center on Monday for the November board meeting and annual free Thanksgiving dinner.

The meeting included election of officers for 2019. Elected were Lynn Creasey, president; Lee Smith, vice president; and Sherry Tuohey, secretary.

After the meal catered by Chap’s Diner in Elba, K-9 officer Lt. Todd Draper with the Medina Police Department demonstrated the abilities of his dog Kye.

Kye is a Belgian Malinois, a breed raised in Holland for its ability to assist in police work. Kye is certified in patrol, tracking and narcotics detection.

The Belgian Malinois is the same breed which accompanied soldiers when they went after Osama bin Laden, Draper said.

Medina K-9 officer Lt. Todd Draper and his dog Kye presented demonstrations at the Medina Senior Center Monday after their Thanksgiving dinner. Watching at left is Senior Center president Lynn Creasey. Director Kelly Shaw is seated at right in the rear.

“A Belgian Malinois’ nose is 1,000 times more sensitive than a human’s,” Draper said. “We can smell a pizza, but Kye can separate every ingredient on it.”

A police dog can be trained in arson, bomb detection or narcotics. Kye is used for narcotics detection, such as marijuana, heroin, hash, cocaine and crack cocaine. Draper demonstrated how the substance they want Kye to detect is put in a towel and then hid. As in an actual situation, Draper gave Kye a sniff of a towel, then locked Kye in the kitchen while he hid the towel. It was only seconds after he was let loose before Kye discovered the towel in a cabinet.

Interestingly, Draper gives Kye his commands in Dutch. He only needs about six words  (such as heel, sit, stay), and Draper said it was easier for him to learn Dutch than it would have been to teach the dog English.

Draper said he and Kye are a team. They work and live together (although Kye is kept in a dog house), and it is Draper’s hope when Kye has to be retired as a police dog, he will be able to keep him.

Lt. Todd Draper, K-9 officer with the Medina Police Department, watches as Kye, his Belgian Malinois, locates a hidden object during a demonstration Monday at the Senior Center of Western Orleans in Medina.

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Greg Stanton, left, and Tony Vicknair served as Honor Guard for ceremonies Sunday throughout Medina to honor veterans.

MEDINA – Members of the American Legion and VFW in Medina know they have a service to perform each Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

That is to conduct a proper ceremony paying tribute to veterans living and deceased from the local area.

On Memorial Day, the veterans travel to cemeteries around Medina, placing flags on all veterans’ graves.

Each Veterans Day, however, they concentrate on ceremonies at each of the veterans’ memorials throughout the village.

This Veterans Day began with breakfast at the VFW for all participants, then loading up their rifles to begin their duties.

First stop was the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in front of the American Legion Post on North Main Street. With Jim Freas standing at attention, Dave Kusmierczak read a prayer. Then followed a gun salute and playing of Taps by Earl Schmidt, director of Orleans County Veterans’ Service Agency.

That ceremony was repeated at the Company F Memorial in front of the YMCA, the Korean Memorial on Park Avenue, the memorial tank in front of Oak Orchard School and the Butts-Clark Monument in Butt’s Park on South Main Street.

Another ceremony was performed for residents of Orchard Manor Nursing Home, and a final one at the VFW.

Participating veterans were Jim Freas, Dave Kusmierczak, Steve Johnson, Glenn Whitmore, Tony Vicknair, Fred Heschke, Bill Koneski, Dan Anderson, Steve Earl, Frank Berger, Dave Morien and Greg Stanton.

Veterans from the VFW and American Legion in Medina prepare to conduct a service Sunday morning at the memorial tank in front of Oak Orchard School.

At left, Dave Kusmierczak and Jim Freas salute in front of the Company F Memorial at the YMCA, while Earl Schmidt plays Taps. Greg Stanton and Tony Vicknair are the Honor Guard.

Veterans from the VFW and American Legion in Medina celebrated Veterans Day by conducting services at all the veterans’ memorials in Medina, as well as Orchard Manor Nursing Home. Here they are lined up in front of the American Legion for a prayer, gun salute and playing of Taps.

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MEDINA – For a first-time event, co-organizers Jen Thom and Sarah Levandowski-Surdel are pretty happy about the success of the Veterans’ Day 5K they planned.

Jenn Thom, whose husband Doug is a veteran, is also founder of Operation Honor, which sponsored the race with proceeds going to the Warrior House on Salt Works Road.

Thom said she and her husband have lost friends who are veterans and know there could be more assistance for veterans in Orleans County.

Earl Schmidt, director of the Orleans County Veteran’s Service Council, stands with Sarah Levandowski-Surdel and Jenn Thom, co-organizers of the first Veterans’ Day 5K run, prior to the start of the race on Sunday morning. The event was sponsored by Operation Honor, a 501 3c organization founded by Thom to raise money to help local veterans.

Orleans County Joint Veterans Agency director Earl Schmidt said his office does a good job in dealing with local, state and federal veterans’ benefits, but things like donating to the Warrior House or helping a vet with a utility bill is something they can’t do.

Corinne Hill of Medina, a student at Medina High School, was the first female to cross the finish line in Medina’s first Veterans’ Day 5K race.

“The more services we can provide for veterans, the better,” Schmidt said. “Jenn is doing something that’s never been done in Orleans County before.”

When all the receipts were tallied, Thom reported they had raised $2,500 for the Warrior House. In addition, $500 in Carhartt gift cards, which were donated by the New York State Corrections Officers and Police Benevolent Association, were given to the Warrior House for veterans to buy outdoor goods.

The Warrior House’s owner Pete Zeliff Jr. wants to donate a vehicle to a veteran in need and is looking for referrals of deserving veterans.

Anyone who knows of a veteran who needs a vehicle and can’t afford one can call (585) 590-0278 or log on to the Warrior House’s website at www.warriorhouseofwny.com.

Thom said 51 runners and walkers participated in Sunday’s race and she is ecstatic at the turnout and the money they raised.

The first male to cross the finish line was Jay Heideman, 14, a ninth-grader at Royalton-Hartland School, with a time of 21:23.

The first female was Corinne Hill of Medina with a time of 25:07.

Both teens are members of the cross country teams at their schools.

Christian Held of Middleport decided to run the race in observance of the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. The cross country coach at Medina High School, Held said the war ended in the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

Thom already knows who next year’s race will benefit. She has promised profits will go to the Orleans Joint Veterans’ Agency’s van service, which provides free transportation to veterans for medical appointments.

Jay Heideman, 14, held off a challenge by Rich Hartway to win the first Veterans’ Day 5K race sponsored by Operation Honor to support veterans. Jay crossed the finish line in 21 minutes and 23 seconds.

Jenn Thom, left, and Sarah-Levandowski-Surdel, right, present American flags to the winners of the first Veterans’ Day 5K race Sunday at Junior Wilson’s Sportsmen’s Club. Jay Heideman from Roy-Hart was the first male to cross the finish line and Corinne Hill of Medina was female winner.

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Aaron MacKenzie loads a red barrel in an ambulance Monday for delivery to a local church, where it can be filled with gifts and toys for MAAC’s Christmas Box program.

MEDINA – Monday was a “Red Barrel” day for the Medina area.

It was the day Medina firefighters delivered 30 MAAC Christmas barrels to select locations throughout Medina and Knowlesville.

The MAAC Red Barrels are a familiar site each Christmas season in local churches and the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library.

For dozens of families, the barrels mean they will have a Merry Christmas.

The barrels will remain in the community, where they can be filled with non-perishable food items, hats, mittens, scarves, socks, stuffed animals, toys, books, games and puzzles.

On Dec. 10, firefighters will collect the barrels and return them to the First United Methodist Church (the former Apple Grove location), where volunteers will sort the donations and pack Christmas boxes for the families who have applied for holiday assistance.

Firefighters who helped deliver barrels Monday were Captain Matt Jackson, Tim Miller, Adam Fisher, Jacob Crooks, Joe Simmons and Aaron MacKenzie.

Several of the firefighters, like Crooks who has been with the department since 2009, had helped before, but for MacKenzie, this was his first time.

“This looks like a very good program,” he said.

Families may apply for holiday assistance from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 8 and 15 and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 13 and 20 at Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God, 324 Catherine St.; or from 5 to 7 p.m. Nov. 13 and 20 and 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 6, 13 and 20 at St. Peter Lutheran Church, 1355 West Ave.

Applicants must bring proof of household (birth certificates, Social Security cards or benefit cards); proof of residence (water, electric, phone or gas bills); and proof of income (Social Services award letter, SSD or SSI award letters or WIC card/pay stubs).

Food boxes and gifts will be delivered between 9 a.m. and noon on Dec. 15.

Sue Metzo with Medina Area Association of Churches stands by the dozens of red Christmas barrels which were delivered to local churches on Monday by members of the Medina Fire Department. Barrels will be filled with toys and gifts for children and picked up and returned to the First United Methodist Church of Medina on Dec. 10.

Sue Metzo, who volunteers with MAAC, said they are seeing more and more working people who just aren’t earning enough to live on.

Last year, 112 families (163 children) received holiday assistance, as well as 43 senior citizens.

Not only do children receive age-appropriate gifts and clothing, but families receive food for Christmas dinner.

“Our biggest concern is while we receive many toys for small children, we receive almost nothing appropriate for teens,” Metzo said.

The MAAC Christmas program serves children up to age 18.

Metzo also stressed for people who make cash donations to take note of MAAC’s new address, which is 536 Orient St., Medina, 14103.

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MEDINA – For more than two decades, the community has thrown its support behind a signature fundraiser to benefit Medina Memorial Hospital’s (now Orleans Community Health’s) Foundation.

Saturday was no exception, when the 25th anniversary of Treasure Island was celebrated in style.

After having the event in different venues over the years, the Foundation decided to bring it back to Medina for the 25th anniversary, and held it at Sacred Heart Club.

Kathy Vicknair points out one of the high-profile items donated for Treasure Island’s silent auction Saturday night – an autographed picture of Thurman Thomas in his heyday with the Buffalo Bills. Seated is her husband, Vick Vicknair, who ran the sound system for the event.

“The event was incredibly successful,” said Angela DiRosa, director of the Foundation. “There were many comments that it was one of the best they’ve attended in several years.”

Hundreds of items were donated from jewelry and gift certificates to trips and special services. There were works of art, bottles of wine and lottery tickets, all part of a silent auction.

But a live auction also livened the evening, with such items as a premier parking spot at Medina Memorial Hospital, valued as “priceless.”

Also touted as priceless was a day at the fire station, donated by Medina Fire Department. The winner gets to tour the station, have lunch with the firemen, and on Nov. 24, ride on a fire truck in the 10th annual Parade of Lights.

Another one-of-a-kind prize was an autographed photograph of Thurman Thomas from his heyday with the Bills during the team’s unprecedented streak of four straight Super Bowls in the early 1990s. David Cook of Lyndonville donated the photograph, which he obtained while in the locker room with an on-field pass.

DiRosa said she is always amazed at how giving the community is. She anticipates this year’s event to match the recent Treasure Island fundraisers.

“The event is on track to be as successful as previous years, which typically raise more than $30,000,” she said.

Money from Saturday’s event will supplement grants and aid the hospital with upgrades and improvements, she said.

Winners of the cash raffle during the evening were Eli Howard and Randal Sanderson, each $250; and Halli McPherson, the grand prize of $500.

DiRosa issued a thanks to major sponsors, who included Lawley, Talis Equity, Baxter Healthcare, Ridge Animal Hospital, TakeForm, Roland Howell, Jr. Wilson’s Sportsmen’s Club, Lyndonville Lions Club, MS&L/Generations Bank, Orleans Community Health Medical Staff, Radiology Solutions Associates and Western New York Energy.

Cindy Incho of Medina, rear, and Tish McAdoo of Lyndonville make their bids in the silent auction at the 25th annual Treasure Island Saturday at Sacred Heart Club. The event, which benefits Orleans Community Health, attracted supporters who bid on hundreds of items and took chances to win dozens of other prizes through various raffles.

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