Interview with Amy Grimm, owner of Fifty-Five Main Kitchen & Bar and Jeremy Martin, owner of Lakes Region Design Group When the historic 1911 building at 55 Main Street in downtown Meredith hit the market, Amy Grimm saw more than a weathered, crumbling structure; she saw a catalyst for community revitalization. Recognizing the potential of the surrounding architecture, Grimm envisioned an anchor project that would draw foot traffic to the village and encourage new retail gro

Young people in Northfield, Tilton and beyond will soon have the opportunity to see their work on the big screen. Hall Memorial Library will this fall launch Infinite Lens, a new filmmaking program for 12 middle and high school students that will teach participants how to write, film and edit their own short movies. The program is supported by a grant from the Greater Lakes Region Children's Fund, and completed films will be showcased next summer during the Raven Gael Blaisde

Thank you to all the funded nonprofits that joined us! A huge thanks to our Ice cream sponsors, Ideal Block and Lakes Region Home Builders Association and to Captain Smitty for being our refreshment sponsor. Katie Dobbins was there to provide great music. A big thanks to the M/S Mount Washington for being our location sponsor and we are so grateful for their free tickets! We had an incredible time. We could not do this event without the Children's Fund Community Engagement

The Greater Lakes Region Children’s Fund announced today that Hannaford Supermarkets has committed to serving as the presenting sponsor of the 2026 Children’s Auction for the seventh consecutive year. Hannaford Supermarkets associates and other Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction volunteers pose for a photo during the December 2025 event. Hannaford has been a longstanding supporter of the auction and donated $10,000 to the cause. The annual Children’s Auction brings tog

Interview with Founder Paul Morrow When Paul Morrow, owner and founder of Encore Metal Roofing and Construction, learned about The Children’s Auction this past fall, he recognized an opportunity to get involved. “Anytime I hear of anything pertaining to children’s wellbeing, I instinctively want to learn more and give back”, says Paul. A Moultonborough businessman and Air Force veteran, Paul is committed to being an active and positive presence in his community. He and hi

When Maci Johnson was 9, she wanted to audition for a community theater production of “The Little Mermaid,” but she never made it to the stage. “I got scared,” she recalls. Today, the Holderness teen has appeared in 19 productions with Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative, including multiple roles in this summer’s upcoming performance of “Shrek.” Along the way, she has discovered confidence, lifelong friendships and a place where she truly belongs. Johnson is one of many young pe

Interview with: Cheri Swenson, Board Member & Daisy Blaisdell, Long Time Volunteer According to the NH Food Alliance, approximately one in six Franklin households experience food insecurity. To counter that statistic a dedicated group of volunteers has worked for over 50 years to ensure that no neighbor goes hungry. Twin Rivers Food Pantry relocated to its current Central Street location in 2017. The larger facility made it possible to introduce a "choice shopping" model, all

A huge thank you to all of our sponsors, donors and bidders for our Christmas In July auction and to our entertainment crew, Katie Dobbins and DJ Ghoulay. We are thrilled to Invite you to save the date for our 5th annual Christmas In July on July 8,2027. Same time, same place, same amazing event!

Interview with Captain Heather West The Salvation Army is well-known for its dedication to supporting individuals in need, and here in the Lakes Region, its Laconia headquarters perfectly embodies that mission. As a faith-based organization, The Salvation Army aims to help individuals and families overcome everyday challenges. Salvation Army Captain Heather West finds helping Laconia-area residents through difficult times deeply rewarding, noting that their variety of program

The benefiting month for Greater Lakes Region Charitable Fund for Children gets underway July 1st for the entire month of July! Greater Lakes Region Charitable Fund for Children, Inc. will receive $1 for every $2.50 reusable Hannaford Community Bag sold during all of July at Route 25, Hatch Shopping Plaza In Plymouth,NH!

Check out our video from last year to get the vibe of the night! This event is on Friday, Sept 18, 2026! Tickets are on sale starting August 1, 2026. The Sweepstakes Social is on September 18th! Only 300 tickets are sold and they sell out fast! Tickets are $100. This Includes admission for 2 people, one sweepstakes entry, light appetizers and a cash bar. The boat stays dockside and the party is from 5:30pm-7:30pm. Did we mention that it's a really fun party and you have a ch

The auction closes promptly on Thursday, July 9th at 9 PM, so there’s no time to waste. The best part? You don’t need to be present to bid or win. This means you can participate from anywhere, at your convenience, and still have a chance to take home something special. Join us on the Christmas In July Cruise aboard the M/C Mount Washington from 6:30-9:30 and see the Items In person! To get tickets for the cruise visit https://cruisenh.com/pages/christmas-in-july

Mileydi Jaynes, a sophomore at Winnisquam Regional High School, is building leadership skills through Civil Air Patrol. And Soleil Lamar, a young woman from the Northern Mariana Islands, has entered the United States Naval Academy with hopes of becoming a military pilot. Funding from the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Fund is helping change the lives of these young people—and many others—by opening doors to STEM-related careers through WinnAero’s Aerospace Career Education (

We are so grateful you voted for us ~ We are so proud to have received the Best of the Lakes Region 2026 Gold Winner for Best Place to Volunteer, Best Annual Event, and Best Charity Event. It was a wonderful celebration held by The Laconia Daily Sun at the The Lake Estate on Winnasquam There there were more than 310,00 votes in 196 categories. Thank you to all of you who support us to help make an impact in this amazing community. Greater Lakes Region Children’s Fund Takes

Join us at Best of the Lakes 2026 at the Lake Estate and enter our amazing raffle! Winner takes every gift card totally $1,311. No need to be present to win. If you are not planning to come to the event you can still get a ticket via paypal or venmo and we will enter you into the raffle! We will pull at 6:30pm June 25th! Call 603-527-0999 with any questions or email Jenn@ChildrensFundNH.org

Interview with Nicole Shedd: Executive Director and Sarah Al-Sharaidi: Board Chair and Founder In 2024, 16 out of every 10,000 New Hampshire residents experienced homelessness, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. Living in Laconia, Sarah Al-Sharaidi saw the impact firsthand as more individuals and families lost their homes and sought shelter wherever they could, including in the woods. Drawing on her background in social work, Sarah understood that homeles

Leaders of the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Fund have announced a campaign to raise $45,000 this year—over and above its annual fundraising—to celebrate 45 years serving children and families in need. The initiative was launched in 1981 by the late Warren Bailey, then a DJ for WLNH, who held the initial event out of a van in downtown Laconia and grew the effort—which became known as the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction—each year simply by asking individual people to

Franklin Savings Bank has pledged $5,000 to become the Presenting Sponsor for the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Fund’s Christmas in July event on the M/S Mount Washington this summer. A longtime supporter of the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction, which recently rebranded as the Children’s Fund, the bank served as the Presenting Sponsor for several of the organization’s Evening of Broadway events. In 2025, Franklin Savings Bank was a Santa Sponsor for Christmas in Jul