Portsmouth's LTC Partners Collects 1,300+ Backpacks

Employees of LTC Partners, the Portsmouth-based benefits administrator located at the Pease International Tradeport, collected 1,307 knapsacks filled with school supplies to donate to the United Way of the Greater Seacoast’s K-Ready Kids Campaign, a yield that exceeded the United Way’s total goal for all companies in the seacoast area, according to a press statement.

CEO Paul Forte announced that the company will also provide the organization with $10,000 in matching funds to help the organization purchase additional educational supplies.

Besting last year’s total of 621 backpacks, 28 teams within LTC Partners competed to provide the children of eastern New Hampshire with kits consisting of books and school supplies to help them begin their year of kindergarten. The competition is run by the company’s Corporate Giving Committee, led by Brian Frankenfield, Executive Sponsor, Corporate Giving. The winning team was “Kreative Kids,” made up of the LTC Partners Marketing Department; they won for the second year in a row, besting “The Goonies” team by just 0.5 percent.

The K-Ready Kids Campaign will use the matching funds to purchase additional books for students. The program is aimed at helping children to pursue their interest in reading.

According to the United Way of the Greater Seacoast, LTC Partners’ contribution was the most donated by a single company since the K-Ready campaign began several years ago.

“It’s great to be able to give these kids a little encouragement as they begin their school journey,” said Paul Forte, CEO of LTC Partners. “Of course, LTCP employees are competitive, and couldn’t be satisfied with what they did last year. They worked extra hard to do more. The results are spectacular.”

According to the United Way, “Children who enter kindergarten ready to learn are more likely to attain their third grade reading level and graduate from high school. To that end, the K-Ready Kids initiative supports pre-k children in a new way. With the help of our supports, we provide local kids with new books and literacy supplies to nourish their imaginations and spark their interest in reading.”

The knapsacks and supplies were delivered to the United Way on May 1.