2003 Santa Fund raises $150,000

December 27, 2003

LACONIA, New Hampshire - The 2003 Santa Fund, the community's largest holiday fund-raising project, raised more than $150,000 for local charities.

Rutter general manager Jim Adams is a member of the Santa Fund committee. Adams and his staff have taken the Santa Fund from a radio broadcast to a simulcast of radio and television. Rutter sales assistant Desiree Ray and account executive Ray Newton worked behind the scenes during the Santa Fund telethon by manning cameras, picking up donations, working phone banks and performing on-camera auctions.

Rutter employees and other community members solicited clients and area businesses for donations. Rutter client Dave McGreevey's car dealership became the warehouse to store donations for the auction and has since become the permanent community drop-off to compile donations of food and clothing for needy families year-round.

More than $120,000 was raised over five days during December 2002. All proceeds are divided among local charities, including the Citizen Santa Fund, St. Vincent DePaul Children's Foundation, the Laconia Chapter of the Salvation Army, OZANAM Place (for victims of domestic abuse) and the Laconia Police Family Fund.