NASHUA – After one of New Hampshire’s mildest winters on record, attendees at the Granite State Groundhog Gathering were not so concerned about whether Punxsutawney Phil would see his shadow.

“I keep thinking, if we have six more weeks of the winter we’ve been having, then how will we know?” Mayor Donnalee Lozeau said during the 12th annual breakfast held at the Crowne Plaza on Thursday morning. The breakfast benefits the Salvation Army.

Gov. John Lynch, speaking at his final Groundhog Gathering appearance as governor, considered the implications the groundhog’s shadow might have for the front-runners in the GOP presidential nomination race.

“If the groundhog sees his shadow, Newt Gingrich gets to pretend he has a shot at the Republican nomination,” Lynch said. “It means Mitt Romney’s hair won’t move for another six weeks.”

He also debated the furry forecaster’s impact on Super Bowl Sunday.

“It doesn’t mean a whole lot whether the groundhog sees his shadow or not for the New England Patriots, because they’re going to win the Super Bowl on Sunday.”

Though much of the morning was spent cracking jokes and poking fun, the event was dedicated to a more serious cause: recognizing the Salvation Army’s service to the community and the people who make it possible.

In 2011, Nashua and surrounding communities raised $222,000 through the Salvation Army’s Christmas kettles, Tom Jenkins, advisory board chairman for the Salvation Army said.

Terrence Williams, Telegraph publisher since 1994, took home the Salvation Army’s Citizen of the Year Award, honoring his years of service to various charitable nonprofit organizations throughout the greater Nashua area.

“It’s a very nice honor, but it’s more about the partnership that The Telegraph has enjoyed with the Salvation Army for 50 years helping people in the community,” Williams said. “It’s also about the generosity of the community to give for 50 years.”

The giving continued throughout the breakfast, as local politicians, business leaders, and members of the community participated in a silent auction for autographed sports memorabilia to benefit the Salvation Army. Attendees also had the opportunity to give $40 or $80 to help send area kids to Salvation Army’s summer camp, as life-sized groundhogs named Pennichuck Chuck and Penny Chuck collected donations.

“What we’re really celebrating here this morning is decades of community partnership,” said Jennifer Horn, serving as the event’s master of ceremonies. “Nashua is really special. …We have a special bond in our community, a special connectedness that is not present everywhere you go in the United States or everywhere you go in the world. We are very pleased to have so many partners here in the business community to help us continue to raise money for the Salvation Army.”

The Telegraph and its Santa Fund were recognized for its 50th anniversary of charitable giving to the Salvation Army, and was represented by reporter Dean Shalhoup, a Nashua native, who shared the history behind the Santa Fund along with the names of its first donors.

William Ayer took home the Salvation Army’s “Bellringer of the Year” award, while Steve Bonette received the “Advisory Board Member of the Year” honor.

The Salvation Army also recognized Sally Streeter, wife of former Nashua Mayor Bernie Streeter, with its first ever “Angel Award.” Dell and Fidelity Investments were each honored with community service awards.

According to news reports, the famous woodchuck in Punxsutawney, Pa., did see his shadow on Thursday, meaning we will see six more weeks of winter this year. But as attendees filed out of the Groundhog Gathering, they didn’t seem the least bit concerned about an extension of the season.

“This time last year, we were suffering through another snowstorm that was one of the dozen that had buried the region between the end of December and the middle of February,” meteorologist Rob Carolan shared with the crowd. “This winter has just been just about as opposite as it possibly could be.”

Maryalice Gill can be reached at 594-6490 or mgill@nashuatelegraph.com. Follow Gill on Twitter (@Telegraph_MAG).