Greater Lakes Region Charitable Fund for Children Inc

Determining which organizations to help is the hardest part. The Auction's Distribution Committee tries to make our best effort to determine which organizations have the greatest need, and can assist the children the most. We ask for organizations in need to provide us with the necessary information on what they do and who they serve, and how big the need is for that organization. By donating items to our auction, and by bidding from the heart, you will be helping an enormous amount of children and families.

In addition to smaller organizations and families helped throughout the 38 years of the Greater Lakes Region Children's Auction, annual contributions are given to over 80 community-based organizations that focus on providing support for underserved children in the Lakes Region. These include: The Boys and Girls Club of the Lakes Region, Laconia Police Relief Association, Health First Family Care of Franklin, Salvation Army, Lakes Region Child Care Services, St Vincent de Paul, Tapply-Thompson Community Center, Circle Program, Santa Fund, and many more organizations. To see all the organizations that we funded in 2019 please go to http://bit.ly/Funded2019. To learn more about these go to http://bit.ly/SupportedOrgsInfo

In 1982, WLNH radio host Warren Bailey responding to the needs of Lakes Region Children and their families, created a two day fund raising broadcast from the WLNH van in front of the Laconia YMCA. They raised $2,100 and collected a number of items to be donated to the "Citizen Santa Fund"

WLNH worked tirelessly to grow this event into a multi day radio auction over the next fifteen years. Through the generosity of several different landlords the Auction found a home each year in store fronts throughout Downtown Laconia. Under WLNH's direction, multitudes of people became involved in this event and the "Greater Lakes Region Children's Auction" took on a life of its own.

In 1999, a cooperative effort between WLNH, Metrocast Cable Vision, and Lakes Region Public Access Television (LRPA-TV) was created. Student cameramen and broadcast professionals came together to form a multimedia broadcast. As a radio and television auction, the Auction experienced a dramatic increase in activity, both in monies raised, items gathered and families assisted.

Over the six years the growth between 2000 and 2006, the Greater Lakes Region Children's Auction family grew to include hundreds of volunteers every year and an audience of untold numbers throughout the entire Lakes Region.

The auction really gained steam over the next decade that had the auction totals going from $89,000 to $120,000 from 2000 to 2001 and from $137,000 to $158,000 from 2003 to 2004. The auction raised $181,000 in 2005 only to have that total beaten by 2006's $201,000 in fundraising.

The fundraiser that made $2,100 in its first year had come a long way with the help of countless volunteers and donors who have helped turn it into a major campaign on an annual basis. In 2007, the auction brought in $210,325 dollars, breaking the $1 million dollar mark for the 25 cumulative years it celebrated in 2007. The New Hampshire Association of Broadcasters awarded the Greater Lakes Region Children's Auction the Merit Award as Public Service Campaign of the Year in October of 2008, after 25 years of community service.

Between 2008 and 2011, the auction continued to gain steam, raising an astounding $1 million dollars. In 2012, thanks in large part to the help of the incredible PubMania event, raising an unbelievable $165,000, in conjunction with countless other individuals and organizations, we were able to surpass our goal and wound up raising $416,500! In 2013, with the ongoing help from Pub Mania and the construction and sale of a home by the Lakes Region Homebuilders and Remodelers Association, a major milestone was achieved, raising over $500,000. Collectively, between the 2014 and 2015 event, this event accumulated almost $1,000,000 in donations that the Auction was able to put right back into the community, helping those most in need.

The need is still tremendous in the greater Lakes Region area and we help so many and we are proud to continue making a difference here.

Local companies support the Greater Lakes Region Children's Auction by providing cash donations, sponsorships, and staff, allowing employees to serve the community at the event during what would normally be work hours. Hannaford Brothers Company, Bank of New Hampshire, MB Tractor, Bank of NH, Lakes FM 101.5, The Enablement Group, Atlantic Broadband, LRPA TV, Meredith Village Savings Bank and many other organizations contribute their priceless support.

The Auction is entirely volunteer run, with over 700 hundred volunteers and a range of donated auction items from the community. The Auction buzzes with activity as phone bank workers cheer at over-bids, children dance and workers fly around the room. Items at the auction range from gift certificates to local businesses, sports collectibles, concert and sport tickets, autographed memorabilia, furniture, vacations, home décor, children's toys, electronics and great holiday gifts.

Everything is donated; phone service, lights, auction items, computers, the location where we hold the auction; all donated! Even the food is donated by local restaurants which provide meals for the all-volunteer staff throughout the week.

Last year was the 40th Children's Auction and we brought in just under $600,000. Last year, during COVID 19 it still brought in $425,809 when many organizations had to cancel their fund raising events! We collected items earlier and used technology to have remote interviews. We also partnered with Meredith Village Savings Bank and MI-BOX to set up remote collection sites leading up to the auction.

A humble, heartfelt and most appreciative THANK YOU goes out to all in the greater Lakes Region and beyond for every bit of help, big or small. There is no community more full of love and generosity than ours!

This year the Auction streamed in high definition on the Laconia Daily Sun website and on our own website.
People will watched on Facebook.com/ChildrensAuction, Facebook.com/LRPATV. They will also listened all day and night on 104.9 FM The Hawk and Lakes 101.5 FM Radio. All of our bidding was done online and we had specially created CDC protocol for pick up of all items.

Over the past 40 years, we have distributed over $7.5 million to local non profits that help kids and families in need. Please visit https://www.childrensauction.com/details-about-the-orgs-we-support to see the variety of non profits that we support and visit https://www.childrensauction.com/whereourmoneygoes to see exactly where our money goes every year.