The volunteer Beat the Winter Blues committee announced today that the 18th Annual Beat the Winter Blues raised over $103,000 for Make-A-Wish Vermont & Northeast New York on April 11. Five hundred people filled Highgate Sports Arena for an evening of auctions, dinner and live music to support local children facing critical illnesses.

The event was founded by Patty Rainville, a dedicated Make-A-Wish volunteer and supporter for more than two decades. A dedicated team of local volunteers, led by Adam Kane and Andrea Sartwell, have since taken on the role, working year-round to ensure the event's continued success and helping bring the lifetime fundraising total to nearly $650,000 for Make-A-Wish.

"The people of Franklin County have made Beat the Winter Blues a powerful force for wish kids in our region for nearly two decades," said Jamie Hathaway, President & CEO of Make-A-Wish Vermont & Northeast New York. "The personal commitment shown by volunteers like Patty Rainville, Adam Kane and Andrea Sartwell is a reflection of the community's culture of supporting neighbors in need."

Among the evening's highlights was Katie Morits, mother of Wish Kid Kasen, a heart transplant survivor who received his wish for a pool last year. Morits took to the stage and shared her family's experience navigating Kasen's diagnosis, including a year-long wait for a donor heart, and spoke about the joy that the pool has brought their family during recovery.