‘Christmas in July’ celebrates Children’s Auction mission

WEIRS BEACH — It may be 85 degrees and sunny, but in the Weirs, it’s Christmas in July.

Supporters of the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction gathered aboard the M/S Mount Washington for a cruise around Lake Winnipesaukee to raise funds for local charities Thursday night. For every ticket sold, one would be donated to an underprivileged child so they, too, could take a ride on the ship.

Over 250 people boarded the ship for the second year running for the Christmas in July cruise. All of the event sponsorships were sold out, Children’s Auction Executive Director Jennifer Kelley said Thursday.

“This community, the businesses are so incredibly generous,” Kelley said. “It’s just a great way to kick off the upcoming December event. It is such a fun night.”

Jared Maraio, general manager of Mount Washington Cruises, said their business has volunteered for the GLRCA in the past and he contacted Kelley, wondering how the two organizations might partner more closely in the future. Putting their heads together, Maraio noted the Children’s Auction is generally a holiday event, and their businesses primarily operates through the busy summer tourist season. He realized they might work together to highlight community contributions made by auction year-round. 

“The community really embraced it,” Maraio said Thursday evening. 

So Maraio decided, following the Christmas in July cruise, his business would offer one free ticket to a child in need for every ticket to the event sold to give more youth an opportunity to take a ride around the lake on the Mount free of charge in August.

Maraio said his business has many developments in the works, lots of them related to social causes those who work at the company feel strongly about.

“We’re trying to highlight lake conservation because we believe in it as a company,” he said.

The GLRCA distributed $609,750 in 2023, and $8.6 million since 1982 to charitable and community service organizations throughout the Lakes Region.

This year’s presenting sponsor for the cruise was Juggernaut Fitness, located at 24 Lexington Drive in Laconia. They have become a prime partner with GLRCA, and are coordinating a 5K run and donating all proceeds from registration to the Children’s Auction.

The annual Raise the Run 5k race kicks off at 8 a.m. on Saturday, July 13, from the gym. Those who wish to register can do so in person from 7 to 8 a.m. on Saturday. The event will include a 50/50 raffle and a silent auction plus attractions for kids such as a bouncy house, food, games and snow cones.

Juggernaut Fitness co-owner Anna Terry, who is a new member on the GLRCA board of directors, said the auction's mission is personal.

“Me personally, a lot of the organizations that are recipients from the auction helped me as a child and my mom. I had a single mother, we were at risk of being separated — I almost went to the state,” Terry said. “A lot of the organizations as part of the Children’s Auction helped us get a house, food, a car, clothes — everything. The passion is in paying it forward.”

Terry said her mother, Lisa Cornish, has long been involved with the GLRCA, and it’s become a family affair.

“Just as a family we’re really intertwined,” she said. “We’ve been involved as a business for the last 10 years. We kind of gradually have been becoming more and more involved as we’ve grown in our fundraising contributions.”

In the fourth year of the Raise the Run 5k fun run, Terry is excited to collaborate with GLRCA, she said.

“This year we’re really partnering with the auction and the Christmas in July theme to try and get as big as we can,” she said, noting that 100% of proceeds will be donated to GLRCA.

And Alex Stewart, the regional representative for hardscaping company Ideal Block, said participating in the Children’s Auction is one small way to assist those in need throughout the community.

“We’re a 100-year-old, family-owned company," Stewart said. “We’ve been involved since 2018 ... This is our first year doing this sponsorship, trying to give back to the community that we sell our product in.

“We want to give back to the families that live in the communities that we work in,” he said. 

Since 1982, GLRCA has assisted countless Lakes Region families and residents. For wedding planner and photographer Diane and Keith Davidson, the organization has particular meaning — the organization helped them through rough times in the past, and now they’re in a position to give back.

“The auction always came through — we would get something each year through the auction, and it really touched my heart,” Diane said. “My kids had several good Christmases because of the work that they do.”

Now that the Davidsons are in a place where they’re able to contribute, they’re eager to do so.

“We donated our services to the auction,” Diane said. “Everybody deserves a dream wedding.”

They donated a $5,000 wedding package to last year's auction, and the winning bidder was none other than Kelley, whose daughter Lexi is set to be married to Gregg Kobelski next year.

“I’ve done all the planning, he’s doing all of the photography,” Diane said.

“With everything going on in the world today, the kids need help. They need these extra programs, maybe the parents need a little extra help for Christmas. I think they do a phenomenal job and, to do what they do, to put smiles on kids' faces, to me you can’t put a price on that.”