August is National Water Quality Month—a great time to pause and think about what’s flowing from your faucets. At Heritage, we believe every family deserves clean, safe water for drinking, cooking, and bathing. That’s why we’re offering a FREE basic water test this month to help you better understand what’s in your home’s water. Whether you’re concerned about taste, odor, or potential contaminants, our team is here to provide honest answers and solutions that fit your home and budget. Schedule your free water test today and take the first step toward better water quality.
*Basic water test only. Must be performed on-site. Cannot be combined with
Glad to be here!
Hello, Seacoast Community!
I’m so excited to join my friends Anne and Tara to help bring you Portsmouth City Lifestyle every month. You won’t hear from me often, because my work is behind the scenes—or more precisely, behind the words.
I’ve had a decades-long career as a writer, editor, and publisher. Frankly, I’m a word nerd. Now I’ll serve as the copy and production editor for this magazine. I’ve lived in the seacoast area for almost 40 years—first in Dover, NH, and in Portsmouth since 2010. I love all that the area has to offer in arts, culture, commerce, and nature—so what could be better than sharing it all with you?
I’m happy to begin my engagement with this issue on Kids & Pets. I was lucky to be able to devote myself to my kids while also enjoying a fulfilling career. Now my daughters are parents themselves, and I continue to focus on them and on my four (amazing, brilliant, etc.) grandchildren. My daughters claim I’m a “toddler whisperer.” I’ll take that characterization.
There’s a lot to think about in this issue, which reveals innovative ways that people channel their passion for children and animals into meaningful pursuits. Get inspired to include your pet on your next vacation, or to engage in competitions—or both! Learn about a unique program that helps kids across New England who have a loved one experiencing cancer. Explore what goes into choosing what happens after high school. And find out how accessory dwelling units create opportunities for multiple generations to stay close and save costs.
Hope you enjoy the rest of the glorious Seacoast summer—a wonderful time to focus on the whole family, animal members included.
Ann Kathryn Kelly, Rebecca Ingalls, Hannah Kanfer, Susan Gallagher
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Carley Rudd Photography, Allison Hunter, Carol Kelly
Corporate Team
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
COO Matthew Perry
CRO Jamie Pentz
VP OF OPERATIONS Janeane Thompson
VP OF SALES Andrew Leaders
AD DESIGNER Josh Govero
LAYOUT DESIGNER Amanda Schilling
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Hannah Leimkuhler
Paws and Podiums
Carol Kelly’s
Realtor
Mountain
On
THE SEACOAST DWELLINGS TEAM
city scene
WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN
1: Ron Ulrich and Rebecca Blaine celebrate Ron's 60th at friend-filled 3S ArtSpace 2: Suzanne Breselor Lowell, Priscilla Hansen Mahoney, and Melanie Merz of Great Northern Builders at the Women in Construction event—Falmouth Country Club 3: Kari Lazerowich at the Key Collective annual fundraiser 4: Erin Vosgien and Sarah Turcott, Key Collective partners, at the fundraiser 5: Meg Raiano, reCreative Design and Brendan Madden, Service Dogs NH at the Morning Mixer held at Laney and Lu 6: Fred Butts, One Revolution Realty, at the 42nd Annual Chamber Classic presented by Sheehan Phinney 7: Melissa Lesniak, Amy Morill, Brylye Collins, Christine Wellington, and Lynne Lagasse at the 10th Annual “Building Houses, Building Hope” Garden Party for SE NH Habitat for Humanity
BRYLYE COLLINS
JENNIFER STEVENS/ PORTSMOUTH CHAMBER COLLECTIVE
JENNIFER STEVENS/ PORTSMOUTH CHAMBER COLLECTIVE
8: Plates for Change Board Members: Tricia DeArville, Kate Chausson, and Jess Michaud 9: Doug, Melissa, Jami, Tammy, and Jesse Scardina, Loco Coco family, attended the Plates for Change event at Strawbery Banke 10: Kittery Land Trust team: Lisa Linehan, Dot Avery, and Alex Keenan
LISA LINEHAN
summerwindjewelers.com
Launched in 2024, Collaborate & Listen is the Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth’s podcast which celebrates the stories of our members.
Tom Bath
Monte Bohanan
Heidi Carrington
Heath
Michael Cinquino
Julie Cutting
Jennifer Desrosiers
Paul Gilson
Krystal Hicks
Amanda Kidd-Kestler
Sarah Lachance
Cheryl Lesser
Lionel Loveless
Regina Piantedosi
John Randolph
Courtney Ritchings
Darin Roark
Tina Sawtelle
Maya Shrinivasan
Anne Weidman
Season 3 Dropping Now:
Keith Bamford
Elizabeth Chilton
Cariann Daley
Chris Dwyer
Seasons 1 and 2 are live now. Past guests have included: Available wherever
Kaley Gagne
Michelle Lemay
Beth Moreau
Ben Wheeler
PAWS AND PODIUMS
ARTICLE BY ANN KATHRYN KELLY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAROL KELLY
CAROL KELLY’S PRIZE-WINNING, FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDS SHOWCASE HOW TALENT PLUS TRAINING BRING HOME TROPHIES
“Sit. Stay.” Table-stakes commands for most dog owners.
But in the world of competitive dog shows, the road from sit and stay to tail-wagging triumph starts long before the lights go up, the judges judge, the cameras click, and top dogs are announced. Just ask Portsmouth resident and prize-winning handler Carol Kelly, who has more than a decade-long history with dog show winners and everything that goes into their victories.
Kelly’s Corgi, Lily—her first winning competitor—clinched 15 AKC (American Kennel Club) Masters Agility Champion (MACH) titles back to back before she passed away at age 15 in 2019. Since then, Kelly has welcomed four more dogs into her home and heart: Pilot, a Sheltie that passed last year at age 15; Pinto, a 12-yearold Border Collie and retired agility competitor; Pickwick, an 8-year-old Papillon and retired MACH; and Purchase, a 5-year-old Papillon and her current competitor and MACH.
Kelly explains that to excel in competition, dogs must be more than physically fit and fine tuned through training. Mental readiness is just as important, with a dog’s “ring confidence” often built through time, exposure, and repetition. For more than 10 years, Kelly and her dogs have trained with Laura Dolan, a nationaland world-champion agility trainer with American K9 Country in Amherst, New Hampshire. Kelly also travels to Uxbridge, Massachusetts, twice a month to train Purchase with AKC World Team coach, John Nys, at his Agility Rush K9 Performance Center.
For agility competitions—the type Kelly and her dogs compete in—Kelly emphasizes the importance of safe training to handle the physical exertion and elaborate obstacles that include weave poles, tunnels, see-saws, A-frames, and hoop jumps. Best practice is to wait until dogs have matured—at least to a year to 18
months—before beginning rigorous training, but younger dogs can learn many agility fundamentals that do not strain them.
One could easily assume, given her passion for the sport, that Kelly grew up with dogs in her home. “Believe it or not, I didn’t,” she says with a laugh. “We had cats. But I’ve always loved dogs, and as a kid I asked my neighbors all the time if I could walk theirs.”
Kelly moved from Madison, Wisconsin, to Portsmouth 30 years ago. Early on, she showed several Golden Retrievers at obedience competitions. But it was when she got Lily almost 18 years ago that she shifted her goals from pursuing competitions in obedience to those in agility. “Lily was a natural,” Kelly remembers. “I could see it and feel it. She was what the industry calls ‘biddable’—meaning, she was extremely easy to work with and followed commands right off the bat.”
Smart, athletic, sweet-tempered, and just 16 pounds, Lily was widely considered a phenom on the competition circuit. She swept one title after another, competing in AKC Invitationals and Nationals across the country. She was named the number-one AKC Agility Corgi in 2011.
Kelly is riding a new wave with her current top dog, Purchase, standing 10.5 inches tall at his withers (the height measured at a dog’s shoulder blades). Purchase competes in the small dog category, with agility height divisions running from eight to 24 inches, in four-inch increments. Within each division, a number of breeds can compete as long as they meet specified height requirements. Dogs must also be at least 15 months old to compete in AKC agility shows.
Purchase won the eight-inch division agility championship at Westminster in Flushing, New York, in 2023—a thrilling achievement. Kelly’s petite powerhouse Papillon also went the distance to earn the blue ribbon and bragging rights in his division.
Kelly says her greatest reward is the bond formed with her dogs through training, traveling, and competing. “We get inside each other’s heads and I’m really tight with them.” She also enjoys the camaraderie with agility enthusiasts. “I’ve met cardiac surgeons, artists, teachers—people from every walk of life. We all love the dogs and we love doing this thing.”
The challenges with this lifestyle? “Early mornings,” she says, “like, 4:00 a.m., still-dark mornings.” She spends a lot of time on the road, in fact, traveling to regional competitions almost every weekend.
It’s a labor of love for Kelly—packing up crates and food, and spending weekends in hotels. "There are many more competitions today than there were even 10 years ago," Kelly points out. “People thinking of going into this,” she adds, “should be aware of the investment needed. Class fees, competition fees, equipment, hotels, meals.”
Kelly’s biggest goal is to have fun with her furry friends. She works hard to ensure they enjoy the sport, regardless of their outcomes in the ring. “They’re much more than competitive dogs to me. They’re family. And my first priority, above winning, is to do right by each of them.”
“MY FIRST PRIORITY, ABOVE WINNING, IS TO DO RIGHT BY MY DOGS.”
The Valuable, Versatile ADU
ARTICLE BY SUSAN GALLAGHER
Accessory dwelling units (ADUs)— smaller living units on the property of a primary residence—are becoming popular options to mitigate the housing shortage on the Seacoast. Realtor Jenn Madden, principal owner and managing broker of Madden Group in Rye, shares her expertise on these profitable and functional dwellings.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS DRIVING THE HIGH DEMAND FOR ADU s?
Affordable housing is limited in this area. When homeowners rent out ADUs, they solve two prongs of the problem: they supply extra income in rent if they are struggling to make their housing costs; they also provide additional options for renters, usually at a more affordable rate than a conventional apartment.
REALTOR JENN
MADDEN EXPLAINS THE INS AND OUTS OF ACCESSORY DWELLING
UNITS
BESIDES THEIR FUNCTION AS RENTALS, WHAT OTHER PURPOSES DO ADU s SERVE?
Providing housing for family members is the second most common use for an ADU. It is a perfect solution for homeowners with aging parents needing to move out of their own home. An ADU allows the parents to live on their children’s property, while still enjoying their own space. It can also work the other way, as an ideal lower-cost option for adult children looking to live on their own.
WHEN AGING PARENTS MOVE INTO AN ADU, HOW DOES THAT HELP THE HOUSING SHORTAGE?
When the parents sell their home to move into their child’s ADU, it makes another home available on the market. It creates supply, which this area needs right now.
PARTS OF THE MAIN HOUSE ARE SOMETIMES CONVERTED INTO AN ADU. HOW DOES THIS WORK?
ADUs can be carved out within the existing home. Sometimes they are added on, but often homeowners will convert a room or rooms that have an exterior door and then add a kitchen and bathroom. This makes a nice little studio apartment.
NEW STATE LEGISLATION IN NEW HAMPSHIRE ALLOWS DETACHED ADU s IN ADDITION TO THOSE ATTACHED TO THE MAIN DWELLING. HOW DOES THIS ADD TO THEIR VALUE?
The ability to build a separate ADU instead of converting an existing structure gives the homeowner another option.
A detached ADU offers more privacy for the residents of the unit and for the homeowners. Garages and other structures are occasionally converted, but building a new structure is more common. The return on the investment comes when the ADU is rented, or when the homeowner sells the property. Local zoning ordinances still apply.
HOW HAVE ADU s BENEFITED YOUR CLIENTS?
One client purchased a home where she could use the first floor as an ADU for her mother-in-law. This allows the mother-in-law to live on the property but still have her own entrance and plenty of privacy. Another homeowner is out of the country a lot. It’s helpful to him to have someone staying on the property to keep an eye on it. It’s like having a property manager. And one homeowner converted part of her garage into an apartment when her taxes went up. Now, she offsets the added cost with rental income.
THERE ARE NUMEROUS PROS TO ADU s . ARE THERE ANY CONS?
The main complaint is NIMBY—not in my back yard. Everyone wants to help the housing situation, but no one wants the added traffic or the extra cars parked outside.
WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT RENTING OUT AN ADU?
The owner of the house must occupy one or the other of the dwellings. The owner can live in the main house and rent out the ADU or live in the ADU and rent out the big house.
ARTICLE BY HANNAH KANFER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARLEY RUDD PHOTOGRAPHY AND PORTSMOUTH CITY LIFESTYLE
MOUNTAIN VIEW GRAND RESORT & SPA MAKES TRAVELING WITH KIDS AND PETS EASY
IT'S ALL IN THE DETAILS
“IF
Each summer parents are faced with the age-old dilemma, “What should we do with the kids this summer?” Finding something fun, unique, and convenient can be challenging. And if you have pets, it gets even trickier—“What about the dog?”
tennis and pickleball, swimming, disc golf, biking and walking on dedicated paths—and even axe throwing!
If the forecast is less than ideal, families can keep busy at the activity center, which has video games, coloring stations, and board games. Or take in a
IT’S RAINING, CAN THEY STILL SAY THEY HAD A GOOD TIME?”
Enter Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa. Nestled in the White Mountains, it’s the perfect backdrop for your next adventure, offering an ideal getaway for the entire family—including its fourlegged members.
From the moment you walk through the door, the staff greet every member of your family, furry ones included, with warmth and hospitality. That’s right— the resort is proudly pet-friendly.
The offerings at Mountain View reflect a bygone era, when families would vacation together for the entire summer. And while modern life is busier and more screen-filled than ever, the resort makes a conscious effort to provide a slower, more connected experience.
“We try to make sure our activities offer something unique—something you can do without committing your whole day, but still walk away feeling like, ‘Hey, I did something special,’” says Lloyd Van Horn, General Manager. This includes plenty of family-friendly outdoor activities like
film at the on-site movie theater. “The game room and movie theater downstairs are really important,” Van Horn adds. “When we think about offerings for kids, I always ask: ‘If it’s raining, can they still say they had a good time?’”
No matter your interests or skill level, there are family-friendly options for everyone. Even the spa has a kid-friendly twist, with the “My Grown-Up + Me Spa Day” package designed to give children a chance to enjoy the spa alongside their parents.
“The goal is to create experiences that don’t rely on good weather, or on handing kids a screen. We design activities that will keep them entertained,” says Van Horn.
The rooms at Mountain View are spacious and offer stunning views— whether of the deluxe nine-hole golf course or the breathtaking White Mountains. Rooms designated for guests with pets are thoughtfully spaced out to minimize noise and ensure a comfortable stay for those with and without animal roommates.
CONTINUED >
And speaking of family-friendly, fourlegged members get the VIP treatment too. As part of the “Mountain Paws Experience,” pets are allowed throughout the property, including the lobby and outdoor areas, though not in the main restaurant. Dogs can explore off leash across most of the resort’s 1,700 acres, including the hiking trails, as long as they remain under voice control.
While the resort provides a specific pet-relief station for convenience, other areas are not off limits for pets to do their “business,” provided the pet owner cares for the property.
What to expect for your pet:
• Welcome kit: On arrival, your pet receives a drawstring bag stocked with essentials—a collapsible water bowl, a durable frisbee, a waste bag dispenser, and house-made treats.
• Comfort and convenience: The resort provides a cozy pet bed and food dishes for use during your stay.
• Safety first: You can monitor your pet’s location and activities (or naps) using a Tractive GPS & Health Tracker.
The original Mountain View House, affectionately known as “the first place,” opened in 1866 as a modest family farm that welcomed local tourists. Today, those historical roots are alive and well on the resort’s working farm.
Carley Rudd Photography
“WE TRY TO MAKE SURE OUR ACTIVITIES OFFER SOMETHING UNIQUE.”
Dogs aren’t the only animals you’ll encounter here. The on-site farm is a highlight—especially for families with young children. Sheep, goats, chickens, a friendly barn cat, llamas, alpacas, miniature donkeys, and rabbits all call the resort home. Kids can interact with the animals, help brush them, collect eggs, and even share breakfast with their furry and feathered friends.
And for golf lovers: By special request, you can even book a llama caddy. Yes, we said “llama.” You can stroll the nine-hole course with a new, furry golfing partner!
Traveling with kids or pets can be stressful—but it doesn’t have to be. At Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa, every detail is designed to include and delight all family members, human and animal alike—making it easy to relax, recharge, and create memories you’ll all wag your tails about.
Carley Rudd Photography
KEVIN EDGE PHOTOGRAPHY
FINDING THE Fit
ARTICLE BY REBECCA INGALLS
COLLEGEYOU GUIDES STUDENTS TO CHOOSING THEIR PATH AFTER HIGH SCHOOL.
Meredith Gadd’s experiences in admissions counseling and leadership has inspired her own business, CollegeYou Consulting. Here, Gadd shares the influences that led her to this work, and the philosophy behind her unique approach to guiding students toward a deeper understanding of themselves.
HOW DID GOULD ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL INSPIRE YOUR INTEREST IN COLLEGE COUNSELLING?
They were so passionate about student admissions, and I wanted that connection. As a student there, I was a tour guide and created my own internship in which I worked in admissions, ran the tour guide program, and helped to plan events. I loved advocating for the school and the experience.
AND YOUR OWN COLLEGE JOURNEY?
Everyone said college would be the “best time,” but I didn’t have the same level of support that I had at Gould. I jumped around. I started at one college, waited tables and worked in the ski industry, and then landed at ColbySawyer. I went abroad with the University of Virginia to Chile, where I studied Pablo Neruda. I lived on a converted cruise ship. If I had taken a gap year, I think it would have been better for me.
YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PROFESSIONAL PATH AS “FORTUITOUS.” WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?
At Colby-Sawyer, I sat on admissions panels with an advisor, and I did an internship in the Proctor Academy Admissions Office. After graduation, I worked as an admissions counselor at the University of New England, mentoring students from places like Canada and Bermuda. In 2011, I became an Admissions Counselor at Great Bay Community College. I returned to Gould Academy in 2014 as a college counselor, learning about NCAA recruitment and college assessments like the SAT and ACT. I later worked at the Tilton School as Grade Level Leader and Director of College Counseling. Through the years I joked about doing this work privately. After COVID, I decided to go for it.
DESCRIBE THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND YOUR CONSULTING APPROACH.
Society focuses on social media and validation by college name, but preparing for college is about aligning coursework, self-awareness, and personal achievement. Instead of giving colleges all of the power to select students, we should be asking students who they are. Applying to college is an important growth and leadership journey for students, so I coach the whole family through the process, helping them to communicate with one another as the student takes the lead.
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL PACKAGE LOOK LIKE?
When I first meet a student, we talk about who they are as a learner, their preferred environment, the last time they felt challenged, their family structure. We use a spreadsheet to rank their college criteria so they can see how well each school on their list matches those criteria. As we progress, they learn how transcripts are viewed in the context of a high school’s profile, and they develop
APPLYING TO COLLEGE IS AN important growth and leadership journey for students, SO I COACH THE WHOLE FAMILY THROUGH THE PROCESS, HELPING THEM TO communicate with one another AS THE STUDENT TAKES THE LEAD.
self-awareness around their grades and test scores. I teach them about college costs and operations, and about applying for scholarships. We do practice visits at local colleges, and I work with them as they construct their email after a visit.
COLLEGEYOU IS AN INVESTMENT. WHAT’S YOUR MESSAGE FOR PARENTS WHO ARE CONSIDERING IT?
It’s an elite service, equivalent to the commitment you make if your child plays a private club sport. Parents get nervous when they hear the fee, but the cost of not finding the right school is much higher. I also offer a shorter “Camp College” program and need-based scholarships, and I am working to develop programs that are accessible to more students.
I don’t guarantee a college placement, but rather steer students toward the importance of being informed and honest about what they want and realistic about their performance. It’s about helping them to see that there are many options for them, even beyond their “dream” school. As we work together, I make it less about getting into a “top school” and more about finding the school that is the best fit for them.
Meconi Financial Management & Advisory
We are a comprehensive financial planning practice, led by Art Meconi who is registered to service clients in 31 states. We have a team of experienced professionals dedicated to the highest levels of client service. Our hope is to empower our clients to achieve their financial goals through personalized financial planning, tailoring to each client’s unique needs and fostering collaborative relationships built on trust.
THE courage within
On Belay’s adventure programs provide support and empowerment for kids dealing with a loved one’s cancer
ARTICLE
BY SUSAN GALLAGHER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALLISON HUNTER
On a frigid February day at Gunstock Mountain, Madeline Brooks led a band of teens on a cross-country skiing trail through the woods. The group was quiet— the only sound the gentle swooshing of skis through the snow—when one teen’s voice broke the silence with a startling question: “What do you guys think about the afterlife?” Slowly, one youth after another shared their wide-ranging theories of what awaits us on the other side.
Their weighty words played an unlikely accompaniment to the smooth motions of their skiing, but these young people were not your average teenagers. Despite their diversity, they all shared one common denominator: a family member with cancer. Half of the group had lost a parent to the cruel disease, an experience that thrust thoughts of mortality to the forefront of their young minds far too soon. Immersed in this On Belay adventure program, these kids felt safe enough to reveal their deepest thoughts and fears to their peers.
Since 2004, the nonprofit On Belay has provided a wide variety of adventure programs like rock climbing, ropes courses, and backpacking for kids ages eight to 18 who have a loved one suffering from cancer or one who has passed away from the disease. Most kids the organization serves have parents with cancer, but others have siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or even best friends who are cancer-stricken. On Belay’s programs take place across New Hampshire, Maine, and northern Massachusetts and help young people from every New England state.
Brooks, the executive director of On Belay since 2021, is not surprised at how emotionally unguarded participants become in this community. On Belay’s free, year-round programs provide an established culture of support and familiarity for young people during a difficult and frightening time. Unlike a summer camp that kids attend once a year, they can come back to On Belay every two or three weeks. “We know all our kids,” Brooks says. “I know their families, I know their stories, and they know my stories. It’s a real relationship-building experience.”
“Kids can come and go as they need us. They have a community here that is with them for the long haul.”
The deep bonds these kids form with Brooks and the other staff members bring comfort, but it is knowing that their peers understand what they are going through that dissolves their feelings of isolation. Unlike friends at school, the kids at these programs fully grasp the unsettling and often shocking world of cancer. Here, it’s okay to talk about how mom doesn’t have any hair right now, or how little sister just had her leg amputated. It isn’t weird—everyone gets it.
“On Belay” is a French term meaning to hold fast, take a break, or keep safe. In rock climbing, a rope attached to a person on the ground—the belayer—anchors the climber above. The belayer promises to keep safe the climber who is “on belay.” This so-named organization helps kids find the courage to attempt scary things, knowing someone is there to catch them if they fall. Participants' newfound courage is a priceless souvenir of their adventure. Now, they can face the next scary thing, maybe mom’s upcoming chemo treatment, and know they can handle it.
On Belay’s only physical facility is its office. It relies on partnerships with other organizations—like a ranch with therapeutic horseback riding—to make these rousing adventures possible. Using partner facilities allows On Belay to provide varied programs without needing every staff member to be expert in every activity. While rock climbing and rope course programs are On Belay’s mainstays, over the last few years horseback riding, mountain biking, and sea kayaking have taken top spots in popularity.
Once a child joins an On Belay program, they can stay with the organization for as long as they like. This proved invaluable to two brothers, 8-year-old Jack and eleven-year-old Steven, who first came to On Belay when their mother was diagnosed with cancer. The boys thrived in the supportive atmosphere and stopped coming when their mother went into remission. Three years later, they were thankful for the chance to return
after their mom sadly passed away. “Kids can come and go as they need us,” Brooks says. “They have a community here that is with them for the long haul.”
Building confidence through a shared experience is just one of the goals of On Belay’s programs. Another big part of their mission is to show these kids it’s okay to have fun and escape their stress for a while. Children who have lost a loved one or have a chronically ill family member often feel guilty for enjoying life. “We let them know it’s okay to be happy even when this bad thing is going on,” says Brooks.
Almost 20 years after On Belay’s founder, Crescentia Healy-True, lost her battle with breast cancer, she would be proud of how her organization is flourishing. What began with one program in 2004 has evolved into 20 programs that take place in three states and serve kids from every corner of New England. On Belay is holding fast to kids facing tough challenges and saying loud and clear, “You are not alone—we are here for you.”
On Belay offers year-round adventure activities like ropes courses, rock climbing, surfing, and backpacking to provide kids impacted by a loved one's cancer with community support, fun, and personal growth opportunities. All programs are offered at no cost to families.
Middle Street | Portsmouth | 12:00 PM
Grab a friend and head over to the -
ternoon yoga session. Certified yoga instructors will guide participants through exercises for all skill levels
able water bottle, and yoga block if needed. Cost is $5 for members and For tickets
