The Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction is a nonprofit in Laconia, New Hampshire, that raises money each year for children and families in need. My brothers run an annual event called Pub Mania that helps to bolster the auction’s fundraising efforts. This year, I got to write about two Pub Mania volunteers—who are also friends of mine. The blog was used on the Children’s Auction website and in its newsletter; I also sent it to local media in the Laconia area.

Jennifer Bailey grew up in the Lakes Region and has a long memory of the good cheer that the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction brings to the holiday season. When her children were young several decades ago, the family donated toys. Jennifer also purchased holiday gifts while listening to the radio broadcasts.

Shawn Bailey came to the region as an adult and began to take part as an Auction volunteer 14 years ago. He took bids on the phone banks, with his coworkers from Coldwell Banker, and also helped organize annual toy drives in the office.

“It was addictive to see the magic that goes on there, and how many people help,” Shawn recalls. “I was impressed with the community and how generous people are.”

Jennifer says she tends toward the shy side; getting involved with the Auction in person didn’t feel like her thing. Until her longtime friends, Jennifer and Allan Beetle, co-owners of Patrick’s Pub & Eatery, started dreaming up Pub Mania 11 years ago. 

“Allan proposed the idea, and Shawn and I loved it so much, we said, ‘We’re in. Tell us what we can do,’” Jennifer says. “That first year, it was meeting and talking—throwing ideas around. They did the majority of it. We just kept saying, ‘What can we do? What can we do?’”

Since that first year, Pub Mania has grown tremendously, becoming an event that provides the lion’s share of the funds raised during each year’s Auction week. The event is a 24-hour barstool challenge involving 31 teams of 24 people each.   For each of the 24 hours, teams participate in fun games and activities; fundraising also happens year-round, as do various events that range from yard sales and dinner gatherings to the Pub Mania Shuffle, a two-mile walk held on Wednesday nights in the spring and fall.

“I was thrilled when Allan came up with the idea for Pub Mania,” Jennifer says. “It’s made it easy for me to get involved.” 

Jennifer has been a Pub Mania referee since the event’s start. Shawn first served as team captain with his Coldwell Banker colleagues and came on board as a referee three years ago. The refs stay up for 24 hours, working with the crowd, answering questions, leading games and raffles, and handing out prizes. Shawn also judges the dance contest and helps the event’s many musicians set up and break down.

Allan and Jennifer; Jeff and Wendy Beetle—also Patrick’s co-owners— and Kate Flaherty are the other event referees.

Pub Mania raised $47,000 for the Children’s Auction in its first year—crushing Allan’s goal of $30,000. Last year, the amount raised was $353,361, more than half of the total $580,584 that was raised for the Children’s Auction.

“I feel really good about it and really proud,” says Shawn. “The amount of money—it’s needed in this community. To be able to be a part of raising so much money is very rewarding.” He adds that there is pressure to keep pace! “We just have to keep doing it somehow.”

Jennifer says, “I love the emotional part of it. Closing ceremonies gives me such a good feeling. I cannot believe the amount of money raised. We live in a beautiful area, but we have a lot of need. It’s amazing how much the Children’s Auction does and how the community comes together.”

In 10 years, Pub Mania has raised nearly $2 million for the Children’s Auction. The 2019 edition of the world’s greatest barstool challenge is just around the corner, kicking off on Dec. 5 for 24 hours. 

Look for the Beetles and Baileys there. Shawn and Allan are sure to perform “Pub Maniacs Answer the Call,” a traditional song the Beetles wrote to tell the event’s backstory.

Says Jennifer, “I can’t imagine the holiday season without Pub Mania and the Auction. 

“When we get to opening ceremonies, there’s always this feeling of, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe we’re here again,’” she adds. “You get to see familiar faces from years past. And when closing ceremonies come, a recipient speaks about what the money has meant to them. It puts all our efforts into perspective.”

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Note: I recently penned this blog for Patrick’s Pub & Eatery in Gilford, New Hampshire. Leah impressed me, and I also admire her. She Dares Greatly. So I am sharing her story with you.

Every single day, people ask Patrick’s manager Leah Nelson difficult questions.

“How come you don’t have any hair?”

“Do you have cancer?”

Or, from children, “Are you a boy or a girl?”

Leah fields these queries with patience and grace, seeing them as an opportunity to educate people about alopecia totalis, an autoimmune disorder that causes people to lose all the hair on their bodies. Basically, the body attacks the hair, and it falls out.

“The awareness of alopecia is slim,” Leah explains. “When men are bald, people don’t give it a second thought, but when you’re a woman, and you’re bald, it’s completely different. That’s just the way our society is. I want my story to empower people to just be who they are.”

Leah is a 31-year-old Gilford Village resident. She came to Patrick’s in a management role just over a year ago with a background in art education and an extensive resume in the hospitality industry. She’s become an integral part of the Patrick’s family.

“I feel there is a real sense of community here,” she says. “I have a good time with the staff and the owners. And then there’s the regular customers who come in year-round, many of whom have been kind enough to invite me into their homes. Their loyalty is a testament to how Patrick’s is run.”

Though her fellow Patrick’s co-workers and customers have never known her with a full head of hair, Leah had dark brown, shoulder-length locks until she was in her early 20s. She was a senior, studying ceramics at Plymouth State University and was bartending at The Common Man in Ashland when she noticed a bald spot on the back of her head.

After a friend confirmed what Leah could feel with her fingers, Leah called her aunt, who also has alopecia. “I kind of knew what it was,” Leah remembers. “I knew that my aunt was bald and that she even wore a wig during my childhood.”

“Your body is trying to get rid of something it thinks is a threat,” she explains. “It was really driving me insane. It was worse to try to keep the hair I still had, so I eventually shaved what remained.”

In a matter of weeks, Leah’s eyebrows, eyelashes, and the hair on her arms and legs also fell away. This was an indication that Leah has alopecia totalis, the rarest form of the disorder, which involves loss of all hair.

“Losing my hair bothered me a bit, but the harder part was when I lost my eyelashes and eyebrows,” she says. “It changed the way I look. People I know from childhood don’t recognize me now when I run into them.”

Though Leah tried a wig, she didn’t feel like herself. Instead, she embraces her look. And she educates people who find it a curiosity. She does, after all, have a degree in education.

After earning a bachelor’s in ceramics from PSU, Leah obtained a master’s degree in art education, also from PSU, and then spent four years teaching at several different schools in southern New Hampshire. She always held part-time roles in the restaurant industry as well.

“I was always working three or four jobs at a time,” Leah recalls. Eventually, she decided to give up the often-chaotic lifestyle of dual employment and pursue only restaurant work.

“I enjoyed being in the service industry more than teaching because it’s different every day, and it makes you think on your feet all the time,” she says. “I’m constantly problem-solving, so I never get bored.”

The restaurant industry is people-oriented, though, and that leaves Leah open to the questioning. She wishes people wouldn’t leap to the conclusion that she has cancer.

“My situation doesn’t feel that serious,” she explains with a smile. “Some people have a really hard time with the hair loss, and the psychological effects can be damaging. I am lucky that, for me, it’s just hair.”

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Manager at Patrick’s Pub & Eatery Raises Awareness About Alopecia

GILFORD—Every single day, people ask Patrick’s manager Leah Nelson difficult questions.

“How come you don’t have any hair?”

“Do you have cancer?”

Or, from children, “Are you a boy or a girl?”

Nelson fields these queries with patience and grace, seeing them as an opportunity to educate people about alopecia totalis, an autoimmune disorder that causes people to lose all the hair on their bodies. Basically, the body attacks the hair, and it falls out.

“The awareness of alopecia is slim,” Nelson explained. “When men are bald, people don’t give it a second thought, but when you’re a woman, and you’re bald, it’s completely different. That’s just the way our society is. I want my story to empower people to just be who they are.”

Nelson is a 31-year-old Gilford Village resident. She came to Patrick’s Pub & Eatery in a management role just over a year ago with a background in art education and an extensive resume in the hospitality industry. She’s become an integral part of the Patrick’s family.

“I feel there is a real sense of community here,” Nelson said. “I have a good time with the staff and the owners Jeff and Allan Beetle. And then there’s the regular customers who come in year-round, many of whom have been kind enough to invite me into their homes. Their loyalty is a testament to how Patrick’s is run.”

Though her fellow Patrick’s co-workers and customers have never known her with a full head of hair, Nelson had dark brown, shoulder-length locks until she was in her early 20s. She was a senior, studying ceramics at Plymouth State University and was bartending at The Common Man in Ashland when she noticed a bald spot on the back of her head.

After a friend confirmed what Nelson could feel with her fingers, Nelson called her aunt, who also has alopecia. “I kind of knew what it was,” Nelson remembered. “I knew that my aunt was bald and that she even wore a wig during my childhood.”

“Your body is trying to get rid of something it thinks is a threat,” she explained. “It was really driving me insane. It was worse to try to keep the hair I still had, so I eventually shaved what remained.”

In a matter of weeks, Nelson’s eyebrows, eyelashes, and the hair on her arms and legs also fell away. This was an indication that Nelson has alopecia totalis, the rarest form of the disorder, which involves loss of all hair.

“Losing my hair bothered me a bit, but the harder part was when I lost my eyelashes and eyebrows,” she said. “It changed the way I look. People I know from childhood don’t recognize me now when I run into them.”

Though Nelson tried a wig, she didn’t feel like herself. Instead, she embraces her look. And she educates people who find it a curiosity. She does, after all, have a degree in education.

After earning a bachelor’s in ceramics from PSU, Nelson obtained a master’s degree in art education, also from PSU, and then spent four years teaching at several different schools in southern New Hampshire. She always held part-time roles in the restaurant industry as well.

“I was always working three or four jobs at a time,” Nelson recalled. Eventually, she decided to give up the often-chaotic lifestyle of dual employment and pursue only restaurant work.

“I enjoyed being in the service industry more than teaching because it’s different every day, and it makes you think on your feet all the time,” she says. “I’m constantly problem-solving, so I never get bored.”

The restaurant industry is people-oriented, though, and that leaves Nelson open to the questioning. She wishes people wouldn’t leap to the conclusion that she has cancer.

“My situation doesn’t feel that serious,” she explained with a smile. “Some people have a really hard time with the hair loss, and the psychological effects can be damaging. I am lucky that, for me, it’s just hair.”

For information on Patrick’s Pub, call 293-0841 or visit www.patrickspub.com.

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GILFORD—As musician Jon Lorentz describes it, Dueling Pianos at Patrick’s Pub & Eatery is somewhere on the entertainment scale between watching a cover band and a stand-up comedian. “It’s more about having fun than trying to light the music world on fire,” he said.

Though the concept traces back to the 1890s, Dueling Pianos is a popular entertainment offering at the pub today. Launched three years ago by Lorentz—a longtime and well-rounded musician—Patrick’s version has its own unique style.

Lorentz admits the musicians don’t actually duel. “It’s more of a volley,” he said with a laugh, noting the competition is all in jest. “We try to get through as many requests for as many customers as we can.”

The duels will start back up on May 24, and Lorentz and three of his colleagues— Gardner Berry, Jim Tyrrell, and Matt Langley—are ready to take the stage.

From 8:30 to 10:30 on Friday nights, two keyboardists face one another on the Patrick’s stage. Patrick’s customers serve up song requests that Lorentz said run the gamut from Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” and jazz standards like “Fly Me to the Moon” and “Georgia on My Mind” to Billy Joel and Elton John tunes, and hip hop and pop.

“It’s set up to look like a grudge match,” Lorentz said. “We get the crowd excited to come up with song requests. No style is off limits. Customers come up, and we pass the requests back and forth to see who will play what.”

Berry said, “It’s great fun. Nobody takes themselves too seriously, and we all have our own niche, which allows us to be quite successful at fielding the various requests.  Patrick’s is a wonderful venue, staffed with great people, and friendly customers.”

Patrick’s has been hosting live music since it opened in 1987, originally featuring mostly Irish music. After Jeff and Allan Beetle purchased the pub in 1994, they began to expand the music offerings. “We like to say we’ve brought some American spirit to the Irish ancestry of this pub,” Allan Beetle said.

“During Dueling Pianos, it’s awesome to have such talented musicians performing classics on request,” Beetle added.  “Live music is part of our DNA here at the pub, helping to create great experiences for our guests.”

Patrick’s entertainment line-up includes five nights of live music with Open Mic on Tuesdays; Acoustic Music Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays; and Dueling Pianos on Fridays. For more information, visit www.patrickspub.com or email info@patrickspub.com.

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GILFORD—Christmastime wasn’t easy for Jennifer and Richard Fielders, back when they were each single parents, raising seven children between them. Staying on top of their regular monthly bills was tough. Buying winter gear and Christmas gifts was a huge stretch.

Jennifer Fielders says she and her husband appreciated the help they received from the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction. That’s why they give back to the auction today, taking part in Patrick’s mega-fundraiser, Pub Mania, and also coming out every week without fail in the spring and fall for the Pub Mania Shuffle.

“We both got assistance when our kids were younger, so it’s huge for us to give back,” Fielders said. “We involve our kids and let them know a lot of their Christmases came from the Children’s Auction. It means a lot to our family to participate in the Pub Mania Shuffle.”

The Shuffle is a two-mile walk/run held for eight weeks in the spring and fall; the funds raised through it feed into the annual Pub Mania tally. Last year, the Children’s Auction raised $580,584, with $353,361 coming from Pub Mania—and nearly $20,000 from the Shuffle.

When the springtime Shuffle starts up again on Wednesday, April 17 at 6 p.m., you can bet Fielders, her family, her friends, and her staff at Jennifer’s Color Bar in Gilford will all be there.

“I always encourage people to come out,” she said. “People have a great time. You can’t beat it.”

Everyone does the Shuffle differently. Some make the $10 required donation and walk the two-plus-mile course that begins at Patrick’s, heads to the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, and winds back. Others run. Some ride their bicycles.

Some Shufflers don’t Shuffle at all. They simply take their raffle and complimentary drink tickets into Patrick’s to have a beverage.

“Everyone loves the Shuffle,” said Patrick’s Co-owner Allan Beetle. “People catch up, socialize, get in some exercise and maybe a bite to eat— and it’s all ‘for the kids’ as we like to say.”

Patrick’s covers the cost of the free drink per Shuffler and also organizes the logistics of the events. “What they do for the community, you can’t say enough about it,” Fielders said. “It’s amazing.”

The raffle—held after the walk has ended for the last Shufflers—is a big weekly draw. Prizes include Patrick’s Frisbees or sweatshirts and other Pub Mania memorabilia. Through Sunday May 5, Shufflers and Patrick’s customers can also enjoy the warmth at Patrick’s Beach Bar.

Fielders is team captain for the Pub Mania team Color Me Christmas, entering its third year. The Shuffle serves as one of many ways the 24-member team helps raise money. Shuffling to the tune of $2,500 worth last year; the team raised just over $9,000 in total.

Other fundraisers include sales of Yankee Candles, a cornhole tournament planned for May this year, ornament sales at Christmastime, and a lottery ticket raffle.

Walking the Shuffle route and catching up over dinner is a tradition for Fielders and the friends, family, and staff on her team. “We have a core group that comes every time, and they try to bring friends, whoever we can round up from week to week,” she said.

Her 6-year-old granddaughter is always part of the fun, as are the Fielders’ children, now between the ages of 17 and 26. “The Shuffle is an easy way to raise money for the team and a fun way to get together while exercising,” Jennifer Fielders said.

For more information on Patrick’s Pub, call 293-0841 or visit www.patrickspub.com.

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GILFORD—The owner of Remodeling Remedies, Jonathan “Jon” Booth gets summoned to Patrick’s Pub & Eatery plenty for help with renovations and other projects. But when Co-owner Allan Beetle called Jon last winter and said he had an idea, Jon sensed an innovation in the works.

“Allan sounded as giddy and excited as a 10-year-old boy,” Booth remembered. “He asked me to meet him at Patrick’s. I couldn’t get out of my truck fast enough for him that morning.”

The two men walked inside from the parking lot, and Beetle led Booth to the Emerald Room and flung open the doors. Turning to Booth, Beetle said: “Beach Bar.”

“I told him he was crazy!” Booth recalled. “I said, ‘If you’re going to go through with this, you have to go all out. You have to bring in sand, the whole nine yards.’”

Beetle went 10 yards.

He dove into the vision, and, before long, a 20-foot boardwalk and a tiki bar were assembled in the Emerald Room. Six thousand pounds of sand were hauled in by Tyson McKenna, the owner of Gilford Gardens, who spread it over a tarp on the dining room floor. A tropical oasis was born for our customers in the middle of a cold New Hampshire winter.

If you visited the Beach Bar last April, you might remember squishing your toes—or your boots—in the soft sand and drinking a fruity beverage. This month, Patrick’s Pub & Eatery is bringing the bar back on Friday, March 29 with a Grand Opening party and some great new features.

“People loved the Beach Bar,” Booth said. “They thought Allan was crazy at first, but a lot of people I know appreciated the fact that he’s willing to step outside the box. “Lots of folks came down to Patrick’s just to check out what Allan was doing. It definitely got people’s attention.”

Faith Francis, a Patrick’s customer since it opened, was amazed by the scene the first time she walked into the Emerald Room and found a beach. She didn’t get away to a warm location last winter and considered the Beach Bar her tropical escape—just a mile and a half from her home.

“It’s a really cool endeavor for Allan and Jeff to bring a little Caribbean flair to the Lakes Region when there really isn’t anything similar without getting on a plane,” said Francis, who works as regional sales manager for Binnie Media.

Beetle leaned on Booth to bring his plan to life. Booth created the boardwalk and tiki bar, building the latter upstairs on the patio in 25-degree weather; then, he dismantled it and reassembled it inside. He said Megan Page, Patrick’s general manager, was a huge help in the process.

Booth has been a loyal Patrick’s customer for more than 15 years, and he said having the Beach Bar helped mix things up at the restaurant during a traditionally slow month.  “We added lots of fun things to really create the atmosphere we wanted,” he said. “Floor-to-ceiling, full-color posters, sand, wind, beach smells, the sound of waves, and more all came together to put you in that kind of mood.”

In addition, Booth enjoyed the wall ring-toss game in the Beach Bar—also an idea of Beetle’s. He took part in the game tournament at the end of April, splitting the $500 prize money with four other local residents who were in the top five slots.

For more information on the Beach Bar or Patrick’s Pub, call 603-293-0841 or visit www.patrickspub.com.

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GILFORD—Megan Page is the general manager at Patrick’s Pub & Eatery, but her influence in the community reaches far beyond food quality and customer service. Page also changes lives.

At the auctions they host frequently at Patrick’s—to benefit local nonprofits or community members battling an illness or crisis—Page is there, front and center, making sure everything runs smoothly.

And when it’s time for Patrick’s Pub Mania, a fundraiser for the Lakes Region Children’s Auction, Page serves for each of the 24-plus, around-the-clock hours as Co-owner Allan Beetle’s right-hand woman. She trouble-shoots problems, acts as disc jockey for the karaoke and lip-sync hour, and doesn’t stop moving, thinking, or solving until the bar stools are empty.

These experiences are helping to transform Page into a seasoned leader, but she also actively pursues professional growth. She graduated in 2013 from the Leadership Lakes Region’s eight-month program. She has attended Landmark Worldwide seminars, and she joined the board of directors for the Lakes Region Child Care Services last May.

“Since working at Patrick’s, I have come to realize how important it is to give back,” said Page, who lives in Meredith. “The pub’s owners, Allan and Jeff Beetle, taught me that, and they instill that in the culture of Patrick’s.”

Building leaders and boosting employees, so they can, in turn, boost the community, is part of the Patrick’s mantra. It’s something that Page has seen firsthand, ever since she joined the Patrick’s team as a server in 2002.

“Allan and Jeff will do anything for the community and for their employees,” she said. “I definitely consider them family. I can call Allan at any time of day, whether it’s about work or something personal, and he’ll help me. It’s exciting to work for people who are so giving.”

At Patrick’s, Page has worked up the ranks from server to floor manager, dining room manager, and assistant general manager. In 2010, Allan was the restaurant’s general manager, but he relinquished his position to Page, seeing great potential in her.

“Megan is an extraordinary person, and we are very grateful to have her leading the restaurant and staff,” Allan said. “Perseverance, fun, loyalty, and honesty are all words I’d use to describe her. It’s been very rewarding to see her develop into the leader she is today.”

Because there is no ceiling for Allan on personal or professional growth, he encouraged Page to sign up for the local leadership program and the seminars. “Allan’s always pushing me to become a better leader and pushing me out of my comfort zone,” Page said. “Enrolling in the Leadership Lakes Region program was a great way to get a little more involved in the community.”

Having also participated in a Landmark Worldwide seminar himself, Allan recommended Page attend a forum in Boston in 2004. “I went thinking it would be for work and would be about making me a better manager, even though Allan told me it’s not really about that,” Page recalled. Instead, the program helped on a personal level, allowing Page to mend her relationship with her ailing father. After his death just a few months later, Page went to another Landmark class, where she was able to talk openly about her dad.

“I believe that I was meant to be at Patrick’s, and I was meant to go to that forum,” she said. “It completely changed my life.”

Becoming a mother was also life-changing. In 2015, 4-year-old Brooke came into Page’s life as a foster daughter; in 2017, Page adopted the child. Becoming a mother has given Page a passion for issues around child care, hence the move to join the Lakes Region Child Care Services board, which oversees day cares, after-school programs, and preschools.

By taking Brooke, now 7, along with her when she volunteers in the community—at The Dry Dock food pantry, for instance—Page is also passing the torch. “I’m trying to get her as involved as I am and instill the importance of community service in her at a young age,” Page said. “I want to pass on to her this desire to give back that Allan and Jeff have given to me.”

For more information on Patrick’s Pub, call 293-0841 or visit www.patrickspub.com.

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Patrick’s Pub Mania team member made $4,225 for the Lakes Region Children’s Auction knitting hats in 2018

GILFORD— If you saw a woman knitting last year while out in a restaurant—or while boating, or on a bus, or in a doctor’s office—it was probably Judi Rogato. She had her needles in her hands everywhere she went, even on a Caribbean cruise.

“Who knits a hat on a cruise in the Caribbean?” Rogato said with a laugh. “Me!”

Rogato’s goal at first was to create 25 hats to sell for $25 apiece to raise money for Patrick’s Pub Mania and her team, The Diving Ducks, to benefit the 2018 Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction. Rogato got carried away, though. She made and sold 169 hats, raising $4,225.

“It was a great conversation starter,” Rogato said, noting that in addition to raising dollars for Pub Mania and the Children’s Auction, she also inadvertently raised awareness. “People would ask ‘What are you making?’ It gave me so much pride to tell them what I was doing, and a lot of people learned about Pub Mania and the Children’s Auction through me.”

Children’s Auction Coordinator Jennifer Kelley says that Rogato offers people in the community a great example of what one individual can do to benefit the auction, which provides grants to children and families in need.

“The amount of heart and soul in this community is unbelievable,” said Kelley. “The Children’s Auction and Pub Mania have brought out so many people like Judi who have huge hearts and worked so hard for this cause. It’s great for people to think of their own unique ways to contribute, and they inspire others to do the same.”

Last year at this time, Rogato had taken part in Pub Mania on The Diving Ducks team with other members from the Winnipesaukee Yacht Club for the fourth time. She hadn’t done much in the way of fundraising, making a donation herself instead. She wanted the fifth year to be more remarkable.

“I wanted to do more,” she said. “I wanted to give more. It’s such a good cause.”

So, Rogato began brainstorming. Her 29-year-old daughter Jenna suggested she use her knitting talent to make and sell hats.

“I said, ‘I bet I could make 25 hats and sell them. I’ll donate my time and the yarn,’” Rogato recalled.

She started selling the hats through word-of-mouth to friends at the yacht club and at a few club functions. “All of a sudden, I started getting orders and had to make up order forms,” she said. “One person ordered 11 for Christmas gifts.”

As the orders came in, Rogato got nervous about whether or not she could keep up. She began knitting in every free moment—no matter where she was.

Rogato ordered tags that she sewed into each hat. They read, “Handknit by Judi. Pub Mania/Diving Ducks.” She worked with nearly 60 different colors of yarn, making two styles of hat: a cabled hat that takes about five-and-a-half hours to make and a more lightweight, striped hat that takes less time. The hats come in three sizes and can be custom-ordered, with optional pom-poms.

“I absolutely loved it,” Rogato said of her fundraising project. “I did get stressed sometimes, like when I had 15 orders to do. I loved when people would send photos of their children and grandchildren wearing the hats I made.”

“I am so proud of what I was able to do, and I am so thankful that so many people supported the effort and bought hats,” Rogato said, noting that when she tallied the total amount she’d raised, she was a bit shocked.

Members of the yacht club were also impressed. They presented Rogato with the first-ever Diving Ducks team award: a plaque with a pair of knitting needles on it.

Even with 2018’s Pub Mania behind her, Rogato hasn’t slowed down.

“I haven’t stopped knitting,” she said. “I can’t stop! I’ve already started working toward next year’s goal!”

For more information on Patrick’s Connect, or to register your business as a featured business, call 293-0841 or visit www.patrickspub.com/connect.

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GILFORD—Somehow, Albert Einstein saw it coming. Even though the German physicist was born in 1879, he had a view into today’s world. He saw what we all see daily, countless times.

You’re out with your family or friends, enjoying an outing—in a museum, a restaurant, or even at home at the family table. A simple glance around shows that everyone has their eyes cast downward, their faces often illuminated by a brightly lit screen.

Perhaps because his mind understood scientific possibilities that ordinary people cannot fathom, Einstein knew that, one day, people would be more focused on gaming, reading their emails, or checking the weather than they would be on one another.

He said, “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.”

“We aren’t idiots yet, but it is certainly true that the art of conversation is getting lost, pushed aside by scheduling needs, thoughts that can’t wait, or fear of missing out,” said Allan Beetle, co-owner of Patrick’s Pub and Eatery. “We recognize this growing trend here at Patrick’s, and we want to help give our customers a cyber break.”

Patrick’s has created a simple new program called Sundae Unplugged. Customers who visit the restaurant on Sundays will have the option to commit to enjoying their time sans electronics—phones, tablets, laptops, and even the television. (Unplugged is only available in the dining room, which has no TVs.)

Those families who are successful will be rewarded with an ice cream Sundae, on which they can add a variety of toppings themselves.

“Albert really was a genius. Technology has begun to consume the time that people spend together, in person. We see it often consuming the dining experiences,” says Beetle. “With Unplugged, we hope to give people a little incentive to focus on those they are seated next to and across from, instead of those on the Web.”

According to a recent report by Common Sense Media, the amount of time children ages 8 and younger spend on mobile screens has tripled in four years, from 15 minutes a day in 2013, to 48 minutes a day in 2018.

And then there’s the time adults spend online. According to an article titled “7 Important Reasons to Unplug and Find Space,” by Joshua Becker, studies show some mobile device owners check their technology every 6.5 minutes, even when they don’t notice their phone ringing or vibrating.

There is value for people of all ages in disconnecting. Researchers have found that one in three people feel more dissatisfied with their lives after spending time on Facebook, as the opportunity for envy presents itself on social media in a variety of ways, from observations of others’ family happiness, to body image, to vacation destinations.

Beetle says, “We say, just tune into your own life and stay there, as often as you are able. Patrick’s is about family and friends and building community. We hope people will use a visit to our Sundae Unplugged as a way to focus on human connections—and enjoy a delicious dessert to boot.”

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GILFORD—When Will Swart was first invited to take part in Pub Mania as a team captain by Patrick’s co-owner Allan Beetle three years ago, Swart was sure his 24 teammates could each raise the suggested $100.

Made up of employees and riders associated with the Laconia Harley Davidson dealership in Meredith, where Swart is general manager, team Laconia Harley Iron Butts felt great about the idea of raising $2,400 to benefit the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction. Swart remembered that a collective reality soon dawned on them, though: They could raise even more.

“Our efforts snowballed from there,” Swart said.

Every team captain associated with the annual Pub Mania event at Patrick’s Pub & Eatery reports this same desire to have the competitive edge. “It’s what makes Pub Mania more successful each year,” said Co-owner Allan Beetle.

In 2018, the 10th anniversary year for the greatest bar stool challenge ever, 744 participants on 31 teams raised a total of $353,361, bringing the Children’s Auction to its largest total in 37 years at $580,584.

“We are incredibly awed and grateful to everyone who took part, and we’re proud of Will’s team—the top fundraiser at over $31,778,” Beetle said.

Last year, the Iron Butts raised $15,278. What allowed the team to double the funds raised in 2017 was raffling off a 2018 Harley Anniversary Street Glide, which brought in $14,000 through $20 ticket sales.

“Our biggest reason for wanting to get involved in Pub Mania was to channel what we can do as a business, a dealership, a group of people, into a charity that does so much for the community we live and work in,” Swart said. “Part of the joy of participating in Pub Mania is just the fun of doing it, part of it is supporting the charity itself, and part of it is the competitiveness.”

Jaimie Sousa, chair of the Children’s Auction since March, said each year the board braces itself to learn the Pub Mania total. “We hope for the best, and then we’re thrilled when the fundraising amount is even more than we expected, going up $40,000 or $50,000 each year,” she said. “It’s hard to think about what our community would look like without fundraising from Pub Mania. So many local agencies depend on it.”

Funds that funnel through Pub Mania to the auction provide such things as lunches for children in the Lakes Region who don’t know where their next meal is coming from. The dollars provide food, clothing, shelter—and even Christmas gifts—for families in need. It also offers enrichment through support of organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club of the Lakes Region and other mentoring programs that give children a safe place to play and “a glimpse of what life can offer,” Sousa said.

“This makes a difference in people’s lives,” Sousa added. “That’s what we hope for.”

The Children’s Auction was created in 1982 by Warren Bailey, then a radio DJ on WLNH, who started conducting the event on air. In 1998, Sousa said the auction became televised. It continues to follow the same general agenda: Tuesday through Saturday, during the first week of December, items are auctioned off, and the proceeds benefit dozens of local nonprofits.

Many people get involved—from donating items to raising money to shopping the auction. Some tell stories that help others understand the need. “Leaders from the nonprofits we support speak and share stories,” Sousa said, “and we have groups of young people doing community service hours and getting interested in giving back. It’s cool to see there is a next generation for the Children’s Auction.”

Swart said his wife, Kathy, is a very active member of the Iron Butts because she was once a single mother and remembers what it was like to need—and receive—community support. “Now she wants to help others,” Swart said.

In addition to raffling off the Harley, the Laconia Harley Iron Butts organized fundraising events like Biker Bingo Nights, which typically raised about $1,000. They collect donations during customer grill-outs, and one employee—the team’s top individual fundraiser—brought in more than $1,800 by selling handmade ornaments.

As captain of her own team, Fusion, Sousa also knows the adrenalin rush that comes with bringing in more—and more, and more. Fusion is made of up young professionals. They raise money through admission to networking and special events, as well as individual team member fundraising initiatives. This year, they raised over $15,000.

“I’m really happy that I can be a part of it in both ways,” Sousa said, speaking of her role with the auction and as a participant of Pub Mania. “We’re all working toward the same goal.”

She added, “I credit Pub Mania with really giving the auction a year-round face and a way to fundraise throughout the year. Thirty-one teams are all promoting their own events and fundraising in a variety of ways. It’s an amazing thing.”

For more information or to participate in Pub Mania visit www.patrickspub.com/pubmania or email info@patrickspub.com.

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