Supporting the Arts & Local Students
Supporting the Arts & Local Students
8th Annual Run to assist in student scholarships and community projects
For the family and friends of Elisa Hughey, June 15, 2024 marks a special date. Not only is it the day of the annual Elisa’s Run for the Arts, but this year, June 15th marks eight years exactly since the day Elisa passed away after her courageous battle with colon cancer. Elisa’s sister, Brenda Hughey, is thrilled to see the run and the non-profit organization behind it continue to evolve and change each year. One thing that remains constant is that Elisa’s dedication to the arts - both as a teacher and an artist, herself - lives on in the community through the organization’s annual scholarship award and (soon!) some high-visibility art projects in the community.
Elisa touched so many lives through her teaching and her art, as she taught elementary art students, co-owned a home décor store with her husband, Inigo de Orbe, and worked as an interior designer. Her work was on display at several prominent art galleries throughout the region, including the Albright Knox Art Gallery, Luminous Gallery, and the Chautauqua Center for the Visual Arts. In addition to her work as an artist, Elisa was a mother and a long-distance runner, even while she was fighting cancer. Not only did she qualify for the Boston Marathon, but she completed it while battling cancer. This passion for running inspired Elisa’s friends to start a run in her honor.
In 2017, a family friend created a sanctioned run in Ellicottville, which continued each year until 2020, when the pandemic changed the format of the event. “We transitioned from doing a sanctioned in-town 5K to a virtual run like everyone else was doing to just keeping it that way,” said Hughey of the current format of the run. During the first year of the virtual run, Hughey and her family were pleasantly surprised to see such a large response, with participants posting photos of themselves all over western New York. “One year, we had people in 11 different states that did this and shared photos,” she recalled.
Now, those participating in Elisa’s Run for the Arts have the option of running on their own, virtually, or together with Hughey and her family on June 15th. The goal of the run is more than just raising money for the scholarship fund, Hughey explained. “It’s an opportunity for us to get together and remember Elisa, which I love.”
The annual run garners support for the Elisa B. Hughey Scholarship Fund, which anyone can contribute to at any point throughout the year. The funds are held by the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation, and donations can be made online directly at www.cattfoundation.org or through the Elisa B. Hughey Scholarship for the Arts website at www.elisahugheyscholarship.com. The fund was created to award a high school senior pursuing an education in the arts with a $1,000 scholarship. While originally, the scholarship opportunity was available to seniors at Ellicottville and West Valley central schools, in 2025, the scholarship will be open to students at three additional school districts including Cattaraugus-Little Valley, Franklinville and Salamanca. Although Elisa was a visual artist, the scholarship is open to students pursuing education and careers in visual arts or performing arts, and Hughey is pleased to share that the 2024 recipient is a talented artist in both areas. “This will be our 15th scholarship award, and this just warms my heart,” said Hughey.
In addition to the annual scholarship program, the Elisa B. Hughey fund also supports art projects in the community. Hughey explained, “Over the last three years, we’ve partnered with the Ellicottville Memorial Library and sponsored classes each year in conjunction with the summer park program… I think the kids have had a lot of fun!” Hughey is also looking forward to meeting with the library about a small mural project and is in conversation with the Tri-County Arts Council about promoting community art through murals in Ellicottville. “Ellicottville draws a lot of people year-round, and to have some mural art that represents what Ellicottville is all about would be great,” said Hughey. “We would like to be a part of that, and whatever I can do, personally, to connect with people here and find the space and the interest, I would like to do that, too.”
On June 15th, the run will commence at approximately 11:00am. Those interested in joining in-person can contact Hughey at hugheyb1@gmail.com. Those interested can also participate virtually and share photos of their locale to the Facebook page: Elisa B. Hughey Scholarship for the Arts.