Silent Auction & Wine-tasting Fundraiser

About the Silent Auction

Every Spring, the LKW Fund holds a fundraiser dedicated to organizations and causes that Laura supported in her life. Primarily, this event supports providing scholarships and other resources which enable disadvantaged children to participate in art or nature programs.

Over the past several years, these events have benefited:

• Burlington City Art's Summer Camp scholarships
• Humane Society of Chittenden County's Camp Paw Paw scholarships
• Children's Advocacy Center
• ChildSafe, a program of Vermont Children’s Hospital at Fletcher Allen Health Care

• King Street Center's Artist-in-Residence program.




Laura's Spirit Award

In Laura’s memory, at each spring event we acknowledge a person in the community who exemplifies Laura’s passion for working with children, and we present that person Laura’s Spirit Award.

At our event on April 16, the LKW Fund will be presenting Laura’s Spirit Award, in recognition of outstanding community service on behalf of children, to Kathy Schirling.

Here is what Jenny Kounta, Development Director of the Sara Holbrook Community Center, has to say about Ms. Schirling and why the Center felt compelled to nominate her for this honor:

Kathy Schirling, Director of Marketing and Community Services for Peoples United Bank for Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, serves as the board president for the Sara Holbrook Community Center. Kathy is a key player on our Marketing & Development /Special Events & Public Relations Committee. For nine years, Kathy has been working “behind the scenes” to ensure that the Center and its programs have the means to run smoothly and successfully. The time and energy she has put into the voluntary board position has been pivotal in strengthening the Center’s Board, programs, awareness, and checkbook. Kathy never stops researching ways to increase public awareness of the Center in our community. As the community continues to struggle through rough economic times, Kathy works tirelessly to ensure that the poorest children in our community have access to the same opportunities as their more affluent peers.Not only does she support the children of the Sara Holbrook Center; she volunteers and assists with fundraising efforts of the King Street Center and the Boys & Girls Club of Burlington. On top of her day job with Peoples, she is an involved parent of 2 active teens. She also serves on the board of the Queen City Police Foundation and volunteers for fundraising events for Hope Lodge. Kathy is the SHCC’s very ownenergizer bunny!

2013 Event Details

Plans for our spring fundraiser are now underway! In early February, we met with Leisa Pollander and Jenny Kounta of the Sara Holbrook Community Center to plan our April 16 fundraising event, a silent auction and wine-tasting at Magnolia Bistro. The LKW Fund will be raising money for SHCC so that they may expand their activities for middle and high school students in the 6-week Bob and Maggie Green Youth Adventure Program, which is free to participants. Joining local youth are many who are from other countries and new to Vermont. Through activities like mountain biking, hiking, swimming, fishing, and canoeing, and other excursions, participants not only have fun exploring Vermont but also acquire self-confidence and valuable life skills, in that they learn how to safely and productively handle challenges. Leisa and Jenny note that “These lessons can then be applied to everyday situations they will face in the future.”
We will post more details about our April event in days to come.

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