FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE..
Laconia Motorcycle Week offices ravaged by fire
LACONIA, New Hampshire, December 27, 2020:
It is with heavy hearts that we share the following… On Christmas morning, our MC Week office suffered a catastrophic fire – it was a total loss. We are grateful to the Laconia Fire Department and surrounding towns for their assistance and thankful that no one was seriously injured. Sadly, we lost our beloved office cat, Ashland, in the fire in addition to collectibles and souvenirs spanning the history of Laconia Motorcycle Week’s 97-year legacy. The majority of what has been lost can never be replaced, including 100 years of photos, periodicals, posters, trophies, plaques, books, and many written records; historical archives that have been over 50-years in the making. Although we do have insurance coverage, it covers barely a fraction of the loss. Souvenir sales to rally friends throughout the world have been a significant source of our revenue each year and we know people treasure the vintage merchandise as well as the memorabilia that comes hot off the presses; anything that can be salvaged will be. We will work hard to rebuild as we move into 2021 and we’re sure we can all agree that 2020 can kindly see its way out!
Please watch for updates and we will let you know as soon as possible when we can reopen our office and online sales. If you have questions, please feel free to email us at info@laconiamcweek.com or call Charlie at 603.387.5944.
A few words in memory of Ashland…. Charlie rescued Ashland in 2006 following a firework’s show he had done for the Town of Ashland’s July 4th Celebration. It appeared from the holes on either side of this tiny kitten that an owl (or something similar) may have tried to take him away as a snack. Ashland escaped and appeared to the fireworks crew that night and was happily appointed Motorcycle Week office mascot! Ashland loved greeting visitors and ‘helping’ with work tasks, which mainly involved sleeping on the desk or on an available lap. He also loved his best friend, Paugus, our other office kitty; rescued from outside our office on a very cold winter’s day in 2008. Paugus passed away in his sleep this past fall after battling cancer. Together, this mighty duo helped supervise all tasks and provided laughter and comfort in times of stress. Both are sorely missed.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help get us back up and running:
Click here