After more than 17,000 votes were cast online by the public during the month of August to choose the Today’s Options Competition Grand Champion and send that champion home with a $10,000 prize for the charity of their choice, finalist and Cazenovia resident Hume Laidman placed second.

And while Laidman may not have brought the grand prize home to Cazenovia Resources for Independent Seniors (CRIS) this week, he did return with a $1,000 donation, exposure for the organization, more professional and personal connections and, above all, vast amounts of goodwill.

“I’m elated that it’s over,” Laidman said with a laugh Tuesday, Sept. 1, after the winner’s name was announced on the Chevy Court stage at the New York State Fair. “I feel that we won even though we didn’t win – we made a lot of new friends, got a lot of publicity for our organization that will help us a lot and learned a lot about how to do this type of [grassroots campaigning].”

Laidman was one of five finalists for the competition, which was created by insurance provider Today’s Options to honor individuals who help seniors in the Central New York community to live happier, healthier lives. Along with Laidman, the finalists, named July 30 at a special ceremony at NBT Bank Stadium, were: Bob Graves, of Liverpool, board of trustees president of North Area Meals on Wheels, Jen Coman of Syracuse, director of Sarah’s Guest house; Mike Gasapo of Syracuse, director of operations at Honor Flight Syracuse; Hume Laidman of Cazenovia, who helped found Community Resources for Independent Seniors; and Lennie Tucker of Syracuse, a volunteer at Rescue Mission’s Crossroads Adult Home.

The winner was chosen by popular vote, allowed daily throughout the month of August at Today’s Options website, with the money being given to the charity with which the winner was associated.

Graves was named the Today’s Options Competition Grand Champion on Tuesday, which means North Area Meals on Wheels will receive the $10,000 prize money to spend however they choose.

“It’s exciting; it’s 6,266 meals,” Graves said after the announcement. “It’s wonderful. Special thanks to Today’s Options for the opportunity to make it a possibility.”

NAMOW has about 250 volunteers; they served over 100,000 meals last year. They have 22 routes and 22 drivers per day. Graves said the money will be put to use continuing the organization’s goal of bringing nutritious meals to area seniors.

“We’re excited to see that [number of votes] for our first year [of doing the competition],” said Today’s Options President Colleen Schmidt, who announced the winning finalist. “We’ll definitely be doing this again; it’s been very successful. We’re so happy we’ve gotten to know these champions and their selected charities have received so much exposure.”

For Laidman and CRIS, that exposure has included not only media publicity, but also support on social media outlets, signs on front yards throughout the village of Cazenovia and even bookmarks given away at the Cazenovia Public Library to remind people to “vote for Hume.”

“The Cazenovia community has been of tremendous support and help in our campaign. ‘Win or lose,’ I am so proud of being a member of this community and to have participated in this effort,” Laidman wrote in a letter to the editor last week.

Jason Emerson is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at [email protected].