New strategies make big impact for Children’s Auction

BELMONT — Organizers and volunteers with the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction were exuberant Friday morning and expected to exceed expectations set prior to the opening of this year’s fundraising effort. 

The 2024 iteration of the event melded new strategies with proven tradition, brought together vast swathes of the broader community and packed a punch well-above its weight class.

Warren Bailey, who founded the Children’s Auction 43 years ago, sat centerstage during the Friday morning broadcast from Belknap Marketplace. He provided commentary and, each time an item garnered an over-bid, rang a brass bell loudly with a large smile painted across his face.

A handful of parents sat or stood in the public viewing area, just off camera. One of those parents, Taylor Tasse, met her husband Chet eight years ago during Pub Mania. This year’s Pub Mania, hosted by Patrick’s Pub & Eatery in Gilford, occurred Thursday night, and was universally acknowledged as a great success.

Tasse held her 5-month-old daughter, Emerson, as she watched the bids come in and announcers discuss the auction.

“That was my first year going to Pub Mania,” Tasse said. Each year she competes as a member of Tagg Team, led by Judi Taggart.

“We started chatting and the rest is history.”

Tasse said the Children’s Auction holds an even more unique place in her heart, considering its interpolation with the development of their family. 

“It’s the one big thing that we’re part of each year,” she said. 

“I love that story,” Children’s Auction Executive Director Jennifer Kelley said. “It’s all about community.”

This year’s auction incorporated greater involvement with the phone bank, including them as part of the live broadcast, and used volunteers as models on camera to show items up for bid. 

“This year we wanted to have the phone bank involved with presenting items,” board Chair Douglas Morissette said Friday morning when asked what new strategies proved effective. “Basically our ‘Vanna Whites.’”

“Every single day has been a blast,” he said. 

This year, they’ve seen more than a few anonymous donors come to the headquarters at Belknap Marketplace to make high-dollar donations to the organization.

Allison Forrest, community relations coordinator for Hannaford Supermarket, the presenting sponsor of the auction, said it’s her first year attending the event in-person, and she’s been delighted by the show of community and charity throughout. 

This year, the supermarket chain supported the Children’s Auction because it lines up with one of their three core focus areas: child and family development. 

“It just fits squarely with the work we’re trying to do,” Forrest said.

“What I think is really impressive is this is nearly all volunteer-based. It’s really incredible to see people so dedicated to their community.” 

Ward 6 City Councilor Tony Felch has been involved with the Children’s Auction for more than two decades, at one point working with the distribution committee and serving on the board at another. He’s known Warren Bailey since he was a kid, and remembers when Bailey first started the event. They maintain a friendship to this day. 

This year, Felch was reminded of an auction years ago by a Facebook memory: a photo of him and former board member and Mayor of Laconia Edward J. Engler, who Felch remembers fondly. He shared it with his Facebook friends.

Felch said new strategies this year, like max bidding, bidding ahead of time and streamlining operations, helped to bring in more money to support local nonprofits. 

“Because it’s for the kids,” Felch said when asked what makes the auction such an important moment for the community each year. “That’s the whole point of it.”

They’ve already got their sights set on ensuring next year’s success.

“Our team was talking last night at Pub Mania about getting together in January and getting started,” he said, referring to his participation in the Community Challenge with the Cafe Deja Vu team.

Friday morning, behind the scenes of the on-air broadcast, Miss New Hampshire Emily Spencer expressed her gratitude to Bailey, who was heading out for the day. 

“It’s amazing to see how far it’s come and that you’re here,” she said. 

Vice Chair Larry Poliquin, who’s also the Hannaford Supermarket store manager in Bristol, said he’s had a great time working with the auction this year.

“It’s been amazing, every day we’ve been pacing ahead of last year which is great,” he said. “Things are looking good.”

Numerous individuals donate in ways other than money. Massage therapist Shelly Meeks of Well Balanced Massage offered 10-minute massages to those volunteering at the auction, and on-air host Zack Derby took her up on it.

Meeks met Kelley three years ago as a client and asked her how to help.

“She told me about it and I wanted to be involved,” Meeks said. 

Jill Ober previously served on the board and now coordinates the phone bank. She’s been volunteering in one way or another for 24 years. She said she gets a rush from a successful auction.

“When we’ve left here and we’ve raised that one more dollar,” Ober said. “Christmas isn’t here until the auction ends.”

Kelley said this year, minor changes made a big difference.

“It’s our second year of max bidding and everybody could see every item. It really helps get exposure for more item donations and it also raises a lot more money,” she said. “This year is an incredible community vibe — we live in a really generous community.

“This auction is probably one of my favorites, we’ve had a lot of community involvement,” Kelley said. “I’m really, really ecstatic. I’m ecstatic and grateful to all of the people that volunteered, donated, bid on items, to our sponsors and all of the nonprofits.”

Kelley said her favorite moments of the week came by way of family night. She received an email from a grandparent who said their grandchild said it was the best night of their life.

“I want this to be a community event, bringing the community together is really important,” she said. “I think we did that.”