Portsmouth Herald — When people line up on the starting line of the sixth annual Pack and Boots 5K Road Race on Wednesday, July 4 in Portsmouth, there will be much more at stake than prizes and giveaways.

“This race supports Veterans Count, which provides timely assistance to veterans in critical need,” said David Hampson, who has chaired the committee that organizes the event since its second year.

Veterans Count is the charitable arm of Easterseals Military and Veterans Services, which provides clinical care coordination to veterans of all eras, regardless of discharge status or length of service, throughout New Hampshire.

According to Care Coordinator Victoria Bagshaw, veterans access Easterseals for a variety of support, including stabilization of housing, obtaining employment and connections to civilian and military benefits.

“We also help them facilitate mental health and substance use disorder treatment, strengthen family relationships and navigate elder and aging issues,” she said. Read More

In February, Bangor Savings Bank picked Veterans Count as one of the charities for their Community Matters More contest, and thanks to your votes WE WON! Recently, Mike Whitman and Eric Beauregard presented Seacoast Chapter Members Denise Poulos and Linda Roth with $5,000!

The sixth annual S.O.S. Salute Our Soldiers Gala on Saturday, June 16 will benefit the Seacoast Chapter of Veterans Count, an Easter Seals program dedicated to providing financial support for service members and veterans of all eras.

The event at the Runnymede Farm, 68 Atlantic Ave., North Hampton, begins at 5 p.m. with a cocktail reception and music by the Don Campbell Band. The program begins at 6:25 p.m. led by master of ceremonies Mark Fodero.

The keynote speaker will be Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Donald C. Bolduc, who served 32 years of active duty. He received two awards for valor, five Bronze Star medals, two Purple Hearts and 10 deployments to Afghanistan from 2001-2013. Immediately after Sept. 11, 2001, he led one of the first groups into Afghanistan, riding on horseback to take control of the southern Afghanistan region from Taliban rule. Read More

The Laconia Daily Sun — The success of Swim With A Mission’s debut in 2017 has ensured the return this year of the Navy SEALs, along with swimmers, kayakers, and paddleboarders who come together to celebrate and honor all veterans.

This year’s Swim With A Mission is scheduled for Saturday, July 14, at Wellington State. The day will feature open water swimming races across the cleanest lake in New England, followed by a festival of food, music, children’s activities and live demonstrations by the Navy SEALs and their K-9 unit.

Last year’s event raised more than $370,000, and drew thousands of spectators as the group of the elite Navy SEALs jumped from a helicopter into the lake and then demonstrate how to rescue a hostage. Retired Master Chief and famous Navy SEAL Rick Kaiser took questions from the crowd, and the SEAL K-9 unit stole the show and the hearts of everyone as they demonstrated why they are now vital members of the SEAL teams in combat. Read More

Kick-off your 4th of July at the 6th Annual Pack & Boots 5K and 1 Mile Survival Run! Hundreds will run, walk, and enjoy the scenic views of Downtown Portsmouth, NH.

The 5K, kicks off at Peirce Island and loops around Downtown Portsmouth. The most unique aspect of this popular annual event is the 1 Mile Survival Run, in which participants are asked to run in boots and wear a backpack that contains approximately 10 percent of their body weight. If you are looking for an added challenge, we encourage you to do both races at a discounted rate. Registration fees vary, but the first 100 veterans to register are FREE.

Both races are open to participants of all ages. We highly encourage creating a team of family members, friends, and co-workers. For those with young children, ages 5 and under, we are bringing back the FREE Kids Fun Run, that is 100 meters and ends at the finish line.

“The Survival Run is a lot of fun and is a great way to symbolically show support for our veterans,” said Veterans Count Seacoast Chapter Member and Race Director David Hampson, who has also run the race in prior years. “The crowds are great — it is one of my personal favorite races. It is challenging, scenic and festive.” Read More

The Union Leader — Billed as the world’s oldest motorcycle rally, the 95th running of Laconia Motorcycle Week starts Saturday and rides through June 17.

The annual Peter Makris Memorial Run, to be escorted by New Hampshire State Police around Lake Winnipesaukee, returns to kick-off festivities from the Naswa Resort, 1086 Weirs Blvd. After a blessing of the bikes and a visit from “The Singing Trooper” Sgt. Dan Clark, kickstands will go up at 11 a.m. Naswa will have a lunch buffet and entertainment featuring rock & roll by the Jodie Cunningham Band from 2 to 6 p.m.

The fundraising event over the last 11 years has raised more than $380,000 for the Laconia Fire Department Life Saving Fund and Water Rescue Teams, as well as the Easterseals NH Veterans Count program, according to event organizers. The memorial run is named after Peter Makris, the late patriarch of the Naswa Resort and a community leader. Read More

NH’s military population is comprised of many who serve in the Guard and Reserves. Many of our state residents aren’t aware that NH’s military servicemen and women are leaving and returning from small and large deployments at various times during the year. Without an active duty base in the state, these Guardsmen and Reservists enter back into their families, neighborhoods, and workplaces without much of a buffer between their deployment experience and the norms and expectations of civilian life. Reintegration is the stage of the deployment cycle where those who have served arrive back home and re-enter civilian life.

Better understanding the realities of the Reintegration stage helps everyone affected by a service member’s return home.

There are lots of social media pictures of the joyful reunions of servicemen and women returning to the arms of their families. And of course these moments are magical. What is sometimes harder is what follows the initial reunion, when reintegrating seamlessly into the civilian world poses challenges related to family relationships, community support, and jobs. Everyone has changed- the service member has had experiences that have changed him or her, the kids have grown, roles in the family have shifted, new neighbors have moved in, the job that existed before now no longer exists- all these changes can cause anxiety and tension, even if they are positive! It’s not unusual for financial problems, communication problems, or relationship issues to surface during this time. Read More