Daily Sun raffling viral April Fools edition to benefit Children's Auction

LACONIA — The April Fools Day edition of The Laconia Sun landed with a bang. Whether out of confusion because they had been successfully pranked, or out of merriment because they got a good laugh from the satire, readers made it by far the most widely read, shared, commented on and talked about edition of the paper so far this year.

A hard copy of the paper, complete with outlandish illustrations, silly font choices and author pseudonyms, can now be won in a raffle, and all proceeds will go towards the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction. Readers eager to take home a piece of Daily Sun history can enter the raffle for $10 per ticket, and a winner will be drawn on Friday, Sept 29. 

In addition to the frequent comments the edition still garners, readers often still reach out looking for a copy of the paper. Through the raffle, they now have a chance to get one.

“I thought it was one of the best written April Fools papers I’d ever read, from the sheer volume of the stories to the creativity behind it,” said Ira Keltz, president of Temple B’nai Israel. “And the community’s response was also just hilarious.” Keltz previously inquired about getting a copy, and now plans to enter the raffle. 

In the days following publication, The Daily Sun’s inbox was flush with emails from readers remarking on its hilarity — and on how it had fooled them. One voicemail said the satire edition was the “best one ever.” On social media, the stories got exponentially more engagement than typical postings — the lead story about a bridge across the broads currently has 940 likes and 300 comments. 

The fake story about Motorcycle Week being extended to 100 days to mark its centennial anniversary went global, according to Executive Director Charlie St. Clair: attendees from as far away as Paris, France, called him to ask if the rumors were true, and it was a regular conversation subject at Motorcycle Week. 

Raffle tickets can be purchased in The Laconia Daily Sun office at 781 Union Ave. and at laconiadailysun.com/raffle and all proceeds will benefit the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction, a fundraiser for local charities that has collected more than $7 million in its 39 years. 

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The Sunshine Effect is a new series in The Laconia Daily Sun highlighting the people and organizations working to improve our communities through volunteering and fundraising. We believe that telling their stories will encourage others to support their work, and launch new charitable efforts of their own. Have a suggestion for someone making a difference we should feature? Share it with us at laconiadailysun.com/sunshineeffecttip.