New Name, Fresh Look, Same Mission

We are so grateful to the Lakes Region community for the feedback we received about the Children’s Auction logo and branding. It was very helpful to Auction leaders this past year as we reviewed how we describe our organization and its many facets.

Our work is now complete, and we are pleased to announce a change in the way we present ourselves. While our mission is steadfast, we’ve updated our name and our look!

We will now be known as the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Fund to reflect that we are a foundation, and we have grown from an auction into a nonprofit that works all year long to raise money to support kids and families in need across the region.

For more than 40 years, our community has come together through the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction founded by Warren Bailey to help local children and families. It’s a tradition we’re deeply proud of — and it won’t change. The Auction name will remain intact, and the event will continue each December just as you know and love it.

Our new branding, created for us by Kate Lilly of Lilly Designs, highlights that the Children’s Fund is the organization’s philanthropic umbrella, distributing hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to approximately 80 nonprofits; since its founding, we have donated over $9.2 million.

Underneath the umbrella are the Children’s Auction and the other three great annual events that drive our fundraising efforts: Pub Mania, Christmas in July and the Sweepstakes Social.

We are so thankful to Kate Lilly for her hard work and her commitment over many years to the Auction. And we are excited about our new look. It’s familiar yet fresh, and it ties together all that we do.

The new primary logo for the Children’s Fund features two children at play, reinforcing the mission with a youthful feel while honoring familiar elements—such as the font, color palette and gold oval. Event logos for the four supporting events may be accompanied by the Children's Fund brand badge for specific marketing needs.

Kate was always mindful of how important and beloved the organization is, and she didn’t want to introduce too many changes but wanted updates that felt fresh, yet still honored the core identity and Auction legacy.

Doug Morrissette, our chairperson, is also grateful to everyone who helped refresh our look and lift up our mission so we can do even more for local kids and families in need.

Check out our video and answers to questions that talks about our new fresh look!