Girls Inc. of New Hampshire’s Fuel Her Fire Auction a Success!

Spirits were high for the Girls Inc. of New Hampshire annual Fuel Her Fire auction gala on Thursday April 6, 2023, at the beautiful Sky Meadow Country Club. The auction was a gratifying success and raised over $200,000 for the organization from online, silent, and live auctions along with a generous round of Fund her Need.

Auction attendees were treated to delicious appetizers including a dazzling ice sculpture of Fire Girl filled with shrimp cocktail, delectable food stations and specialty cocktails and mocktails. The mood was upbeat with live music by jazz trio After 6. Guests enjoyed networking, placing bids on the wide array of silent auction items and spending time outside in the beautiful weather before the speakers and Live Auction began.

The live auction kicked off with moving remarks from Girls Inc. CEO Sharron McCarthy and Board Chair Eric Marquis. Courtney Tanner, Director of Government Relations for Dartmouth Health, our Diamond Sponsor, spoke of the current mental health crisis that many young girls are currently facing in America. Attendees were also treated to heartwarming speeches from 8th graders, Jaelyn Hartford and Kianaly Gallego-Rodriguez, both student/athletes from the Manchester Girls Inc. center. The girls, who have attended Girls Inc. for over 7 years, shared their favorite memories and the life skills they have developed while at Girls Inc. They received a standing ovation from an appreciative crowd.

Expert auctioneer and former board member Mark Fodero kicked off the entertaining live auction with items such as trips to Myrtle Beach, Cliff House and a Nantucket Getaway, and Kawasaki Youth Electric Bike. The room was energized with bidders and the anticipation of a raffle to win a stunning pair of Diamond dangle earrings from Barmakian Jewelers.

The room was bursting with generosity! Funds raised provide scholarships for local New Hampshire girls to attend full day Girls Inc NH summer camp, Young Women’s Leadership and after-school programs. No girl is turned away for her inability to pay.

Girls Inc.’s center-based and community-based programs address critical areas, such as STEM education, Mind & Body curriculum, pregnancy and drug abuse prevention, media and economic literacy, adolescent health, violence prevention, careers and leadership, and participation in sports.

For almost 50 years now, Girls Inc. of New Hampshire has inspired girls to be strong (through healthy living), smart (through education), and bold (through independence) in its Nashua and Manchester centers and in schools across the state. It provides thousands of girls with life changing experiences and solutions to the unique challenges they face. Visit www.girlsincnewhampshire.org for more information.