Courtesy photo Girls Inc. of New Hampshire program participants, from left, Myasiah Ortiz, Jaihliani Ortiz, Gianna Toscano and Susan Kamola pose for a picture with U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., at the Girls Inc. of New Hampshire 30th annual auction. This took place April 12 at the Courtyard Marriott in Nashua.

NASHUA – Officials at Girls Inc. of New Hampshire continue bringing girl power to the Granite State, and with their record-breaking auction at the Nashua Courtyard Marriott, the organization continues work to provide life-changing experiences to girls at their Nashua and Manchester centers.

During their 30th annual auction, April 12, officials raised $288,000 – breaking their prior single event fundraising record of $220,000. The money from the auction will help fund programs geared to empowering girls ages 5 to 18 by helping them face challenges unique to girls with life-changing experiences and solutions.

Girls Inc. officials, along with their sponsors and donors, auctioned off items such as tickets to a Boston Red Sox game, a trip to New York packaged with tickets to a play and a $500 travel voucher, a two-night stay in the White Elephant Hotel in Nantucket, Massachusetts, and a week’s stay in a house on Cape Cod. Also auctioned off was a puppy, which will be born in a July at a local breeder.

“The funds we raise throughout the year, including at our annual auction, help us create programming that will help girls of New Hampshire navigate any challenges they may face,” Girls Inc. CEO Cathy Duffy-Cullity said.

With this being Duffy-Cullity’s last auction prior to retiring – which she said will be effective in December – she said a lot of the donors and sponsors stepped up and made this year’s event even more special.

“With the support of our corporate and individual partners and donors, we can continue to serve more than 2,000 girls at our centers,” she added, “helping them achieve their personal best through leadership development and enrichment programs.”

One of the biggest donations came collectively from the donors in the crowd who raised their paddles and continued to add money to the organization’s Fund-a-Need program, which helps send girls to summer camp. The organization ended up raising $107,000 for the

program.

Duffy-Cullity said the money will help with programs at the Nashua and Manchester centers, giving girls a chance to attend summer camp and programs, as well as helping the center provide food for dinner clubs. These events see about 70 kids per evening throughout the year.

After such a successful fundraiser, Duffy-Cullity said she encourages more girls to sign up for summer camp, with there still being some space left at the Nashua center.

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