It was a race to the finish line. Mayor-elect Vince Anello took an early lead but lost ground fast when state Sens. Byron Brown and George Maziarz came up on the outside.
The senators, one Democrat and one Republican, were neck and neck for most of the evening but, in the final seconds, it was James Stewart, who narrowly lost his race for City Council last month, and Steve's Automotive, a fine Main Street business, who carried the day.
The prize? A $1,200 full-page ad in the Niagara Falls Reporter put up for bid in the Firefighters Toy Fund auction and snagged by Steve's for the bargain price of $600.
The Reporter ad fetched the highest price of any item offered during the 12-hour Toy Fund telethon broadcast live in Erie and Niagara counties last Saturday on Adelphia cable.
Sen. Brown told viewers he knew the value of advertising in the Reporter.
"That's a bargain (at $1,200)," he said, bidding $400 for the ad.
Not counting auction bids or pledges, the firefighters took in more than $30,000 in cash during the event.
Master of Ceremonies Bill Butski told the Reporter that, despite the harsh economic times, the people of the region came through in winning fashion for disadvantaged children here.
"It's way up over last year's number in terms of first-day receipts," he said. "We're very happy."
The Firefighters Toy Fund has become a holiday tradition in the Falls area, providing needy children with not only toys but winter boots, coats, hats and mittens.
With local soup kitchens filled to capacity and plant closings and layoffs dominating the headlines here, the program has never been more needed.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | December 9 2003 |