300 children and their chaperones from nonprofits served by the Greater Lakes Region Children's Auction are invited to a free narrated scenic cruise aboard the M/S Mount Washington on Wednesday, August 6th at 10 am. How can we do this? Every ticket sold during the Christmas in July fundraiser on the Mount will translate to one ticket given to a child thanks to the generosity of the M/S Mount Washington. Thank you to Franklin Savings Bank who is joining us as a Supporting Sponsor. Auction Executive Director Jennifer Kelley wanted to give back to underserved children in a different way, by offering them new life experiences.
“The Children's Auction’s mission is to engage the community to financially support children and families in need,” Kelley said. “Why this is so special to me, is that it actually gets the kids physically doing something that they've never experienced.”
Children engaged in programs through Lakes Region Community Services, Step Up Parents, Big Brothers Big Sisters of NH, Boys & Girls Club, Got Lunch! Laconia, and many others are invited onto the boat. See our whole list of funded nonprofits here.
“Instead of just giving tickets to the nonprofits, I wanted to host one event where all of the nonprofit kids could come together,” Kelley said.
Many of the children have only seen the lake from the shore and have never been out on the water. We are incredibly thankful to the M/S Mount Washington for giving these kids an opportunity they would otherwise never have.
Last year, Lakes Region Home Builders & Remodelers Association provided the Dole Whip treats kids enjoyed onboard, and Capt. Patrick Smith, also known as Capt. Smitty, donated soft drinks. Katie Gray, Boys & Girls Club receptionist and chaperone, said the kids were excited to be on the boat. “I think they've gotten so comfortable on the boat that they're really enjoying themselves, exploring it and dancing on the dance floor and on the little stage, and they're loving the fresh air,” she said. “And the new sights. Yep, they're just having a ball.”
Joy Hall was on the cruise with her husband John and six grandchildren. She helps out with Gilford Got Lunch!, and has recently applied to Step Up Parents. Her son and grandchildren moved into her house after her daughter-in-law died several years ago. Hall said she only met Kelley a couple of weeks ago, when she invited her and the family onto the boat.
“All the programs that are associated with the Children's Auction are fantastic,” Hall said. “I met Jennifer at the Recycle Center at Gilford, and we were just rummaging through things, as she was getting things ready for Christmas in July and we just talking. And here we are.”
Mount Washington Cruises has been a longtime supporter of the auction, and many of the crew have participated in various fundraisers over the years. Next up is the Sweepstakes Social on Sept 12, 2025, aboard the Mount docked at the Weirs. Only 300 tickets are sold, and all of that money goes back to the auction. General Manager Jared Maraio said he wants to continue supporting the Children’s Auction into the future.
“This year was the second year for the cruise and we added the ticket element ... the cruise was better attended this year than it was last year,” Maraio said. “We're hoping to expand it and grow it every year to really kind of give them a boost in the summer to all their fundraising activities.”
Kelley has a bigger goal for the 2025 event.
“My objective is 500 tickets for Christmas in July, then take 500 kids on the Kids Cruise on the Mount August 6th and I am trying to get a sponsor to supply a bagged lunch when the kids get off the boat that they can enjoy on the dock,” she said.
Maraio said he looks forward to working with the Children’s Auction to provide these experiences. He said in the tourism business, they often focus on who is coming from outside the Lakes Region, but he is glad they can do work supporting the local community. Because of the history of the Mount, he believes it is only fitting to contribute to the cause.
“Something that we as an organization try to keep in mind is that the Mount Washington, for 150 years, before there were roads, before they were phones or anything — we were actually the bridge between a lot of these communities around the lake, where the only way you could communicate was to get on the Mount or send a message through the Mount to get to another community,” Maraio said. “And we're trying to look at the modern version of that, trying to connect what we do as a tourism business, to what our local organizations are doing and trying to get them all to work together in order to do some [real] good.”
Read about the 2024 Kids Cruise on the Mount at Full Article in the Laconia Daily Sun by Daniel Sarch. Aug 1, 2024