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JESSICA FINCH Associate Editor

+ CHARITY WALK - As a reporter I am fortunate to be informed about many charity walks and events taking place in Western New York. Often we write about these organizations and efforts to promote their causes. This Saturday, Sept. 2, I will be lacing up my sneakers for Buffalo's Walk For Farm Animals starting at the Buffalo Zoo's bison exhibit in Delaware Park. Registration begins at noon. The walk starts at 1 p.m. All proceeds go to benefit farm animals. In addition to the walk, there will be a Chinese auction, 50/50 raffle, and mini flea market. To register for the walk, call 862-0470 or e-mail buffalo@walkforfar manimals.org. I hope to see some familiar Amherst faces during the trek.

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 OPEN HOUSE - The Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart, a Catholic school for girls in grades nine-12, will have two open houses in the fall. Prospective students interested in learning more about Sacred Heart can attend from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28 or from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1 at the school, 3860 Main St., Eggertsville. Visitors will tour the facility, meet students and faculty and learn more about the school. Information on scholarships, financial aid and the placement test will be available. For more information, call 834-2101.

by JILL SCHMELZER Reporter

 RED KNIGHTS - This past Sunday, I woke up and looked outside - it was another dreary morning in August. I rolled out of bed, ate some breakfast, threw on a baseball cap and jeans and hopped in my car. I was headed to the second annual Red Knights NY21 Dice Run for Baby Joe Mesi's Fight for Organ Donation. As I drove to Marilla, I thought that the firefighters wouldn't have much luck with this fund-raiser. Last year, they ran into the same problem with poor weather. Once I arrived at the Marilla Fire Hall, I looked in the back where tents were set up. There was a better turnout than I had expected. People huddled together under tents, laughing and catching up with old friends. It was approaching 11:30 a.m., and motorcycles were beginning to fill the back parking lot. The firefighters stayed optimistic that even more people would attend the event. Baby Joe Mesi posed for photo ops and signed autographs. He was genuinely thrilled to attend the event. I didn't stay long, due to previous obligations, but the time I spent talking to the members of the club was great. They worked hard to make sure the event went well and despite the weather, they were there to have a good time, eat great food, ride their motorcycles and enjoy good music. The dedicated firefighters of Western New York not only spend their time tending to emergencies in the local areas, but they assist such organizations as the Baby Joe Mesi Organ Donation Foundation, Mercy Flight and other nonprofit causes.