Special Events

The Lakes Region United Way hosts various events every year. Some are annual, some are seasonal, some are fundraising, some are awareness raising, and some are just for fun! There is often a need for volunteers at these events. Please follow the links below for more information. View our Events Calendar. Quick Links to Special Events: February - Sweetheart Auction March - Lakes Region United Way Iron Chef Competition April/May - Annual Celebration May through September - Meadowbrook 50/50 Raffles September - Day of Caring On-Going - Annual Campaign On-Going - Good News Travels Fast

February – Sweetheart Auction

View the current auction page here. Every year, just before Valentine's Day, Patrick's Pub & Eatery in Gilford hosts our annual Sweetheart Auction. Local businesses and individuals donate items for auction, and the bidding is fast and furious with volunteer auctioneer extraordinaire P.K. Zyla leading the auction action. Over the past five years, this auction has raised over $83,000. Donate an item to our next Sweetheart Auction by emailing us at: lruw@lruw.org

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March – Lakes Region United Way Iron Chef Competition

As an annual show of appreciation, LRUW volunteers organize a very exciting event with the help of The Common Man restaurants and with support from Meredith Village Savings Bank, LRG Healthcare and the Inns & Spa at Mill Falls. The Common Man chefs representing LAGO, The Camp and The Lakehouse Grill compete for the title of "LRUW Iron Chef."

Unique to the competition is that a "secret" main ingredient is announced only moments before the start and the chefs are given just an hour to come up with 3 dishes that incorporate the unknown ingredient.They must create, prepare and present their dishes to a panel of judges who will award points for creativity, presentation, use of the main ingredient and taste.

This is a free, non-fundraising event simply to celebrate with those who have supported the fundraising efforts of the Lakes Region United Way.

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April / May – Annual Celebration

Our annual meeting is a community celebration, recognizing the commitment we all have to making the Lakes Region a better place to live and work. During the evening we hand out the Sara Allen Award in recognition of the most improved Service Delivery Program of the year, the Nighswander Chertok award for campaign of the year, and the Captain Ralph Bristol Award for volunteer of the year. This year our annual event is Monday, May 5th. Registration begins at 5, dinner and event begins at 6:15. Download the invitation here.

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May through September – Meadowbrook 50/50 raffles

Click here for winning numbers!

For the last five years, Lakes Region United Way has teamed up with Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion to hold a 50/50 raffles during the summer concert seasons. At most shows, our volunteers sell raffle tickets to the crowd of concertgoers. The winning ticket holder and LRUW split the proceeds each evening. Nearly $62,000 has been raised for our community since we began the raffles in the summer of 2003!

Please visit Meadowbrook often, enjoy their fabulous shows, and be sure to purchase your Lakes Region United Way 50/50 Raffle Tickets while you're there.

For the past few seasons, The Citizen newspaper has generously shared its base of operations tent with us. Representatives of The Citizen will be at most shows giving away free copies of the newspaper, so please stop by the tent & purchase your United Way 50/50 raffle tickets and pick up a free copy of the latest paper while you're there! We would like to thank The Citizen for their generosity, which enables us to significantly reduce our raffle administration expenses.

We are grateful to the Harding family and the wonderful staff at Meadowbrook for their continuing support and partnership and for making this opportunity possible, and grateful to all of the concertgoers who played our raffle and made the last five seasons a success, and offer our congratulations to all of the lucky winners. And last but certainly not least, we also wish to thank our ticket selling volunteers for their spectacular job!

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September – Day of Caring

Day of Caring is an annual event that gathers together volunteers from all over the Lakes Region to assist local care-giving agencies and other non-profits. Employees from local businesses and organizations who wish to volunteer their time are matched with care-givers to complete projects that may otherwise not get done.

Past projects included painting, landscaping, working with senior citizens and day care kids, office and computer work, making baby blankets and other infant needs and MUCH, MUCH MORE!!

If your company would like to participate in the next Day of Caring by sending volunteers or donating materials, visit our download section to obtain all the documents you need.

Visit the Day of Caring Page

View Photos from the Day of Caring

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On-going - Annual Campaign

While most people associate the fall season with the United Way's annual campaign because most of the activity and fan-fare occurs then, the truth is that the campaign is going year-round and is based upon our April – March fiscal year. Indeed, we have pace-setters, notably Pike Industries, GMI Asphault and Miracle Farms Landscape Contractors, who hold their campaigns early every spring.

Learn how you can Get Involved in our annual campaign.

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On-going – Good News Travels Fast

See what's happening this week on Good News Travels Fast.

Join host Judi Taggart as she explores the social world, and the good news within, here in the Lakes Region. Good News Travels Fast is a Lakes Region United Way show, designed to highlight the residents of the Lakes Region and how we work together to make it a better place for all to live. Filmed and hosted by Lakes Region Public Access and broadcast in the Lakes Region on Metrocast channel 25, tune in every Wednesday at 4:30 pm, 7 pm and 11:30 pm, Thursday at 8:30 am, Friday at 4:30 am and 4:30 pm, Monday at 7:30 pm and, for you night-owls, Tuesday at 3:30 am.

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