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Laconia Country Club splits high‑value auction donation with schools; district highlights inclusive playground upgrades
Summary
Laconia Country Club donated half the value of a membership auction win to the Laconia School District’s capital campaign, district officials said, and elementary principals described how recent playground upgrades — including ADA-accessible equipment — are already being used by students.
Charlie Wheeler, general manager of the Laconia Country Club, told the Laconia School District School Board on Jan. 21 that the club split the value of a donated membership between the Lakes Region children’s auction and the district’s capital campaign.
The donation arose from the club’s annual practice of donating one membership to the auction. “So, each year, the club donates, 1 of our memberships to the Lakes Region children's auction,” Charlie Wheeler said. He told the board the membership has become more valuable since COVID and that this year’s membership is a $5,800 membership that sold for just under $30,000; he and the club’s board chose to split the donation so the school district would receive half.
District leaders said the contribution will help fund playground and signage work that the board showed to the meeting. Superintendent Chaplin described a draft sign that would be made and installed by students in the district’s adult-education and engineering programs and identified major sponsors that together approached $190,000 in support. “This is a draft, and these are all our major sponsors, including, I think, Cross Insurance,” Chaplin said while showing the sponsor layout to the board.
Elementary principals reported that students and families have already used and appreciated the updated playground equipment. A Pleasant Street elementary school representative said the zip line remains a student favorite and that teachers have used it as well. The board and speakers highlighted one fifth‑grade student in a wheelchair who can now access new equipment at Elm Street School: “That new equipment, she has been able to access for, you know, for the first time where there's things she can actually,” Chaplin said, describing the change in access for the student.
Board members arranged to take a group photo on the draft sign and thanked Wheeler and the Country Club for the donation and ongoing support for athletics and other programs.
District staff said the sign project and playground work are in a draft stage, with hoped‑for completion “late this spring,” and that the engineering program and adult‑education students could participate in fabrication and installation.
The board did not vote on any capital allocations at the meeting; district staff noted the donation and showed fundraising and design materials for future board review.
