Kites Against Cancer (Hampton Beach, Hampton, NH)

Date Of Event: May 21, 2017

Location: Hampton Beach, 115 Ocean Blvd.
Hampton Beach, NH

Cost: Free

Parking:

April 1 through April 30 – Pay and Display parking is in effect. $1.00 per hour between 8AM – Midnight. Midnight – 8AM Parking is free. Effective 2013 – Pay and Display. You must now return to your vehicle and display the receipt from the pay station in your dashboard. If you do not have a receipt displayed you will be fined.

Effective May 1st – $2 per hour public parking. Pay at Pay Station and Must display receipt visibly on dashboard.

Effective Nov. 4th, 2012 – Free parking begins. (Subject to change).

Winter Parking Ban – Nov. 15th, 2013 – April 1st, 2013 No On Street Parking between 12AM – 7AM. Be aware.

Handicap Parking – Handicap parking is available in any legal metered parking spot providing you have a Handicap Plate or a Hanging Handicap Tag hanging, or visible, in your front window.

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Highlights: kites, fund raiser for cancer awareness, face painting, family friendly and dog friendly

Website: Kites Against Cancer

If you were in the Hampton, New Hampshire area last weekend, those weren’t space ships or dragons you thought you saw in the sky. No, it was the 9th annual Kites Against Cancer charity event at Hampton Beach, NH.  People from all over New England stopped by the beach to fly their kites and help a good cause.

Kites were provided or you could bring your own kite.  There were also kite decorating stations for you to personalize your own kite.  One of the participants, Miss Hampton Beach 2016 (Brooke Riley of Lowell, MA), decorated her kite with the names of relatives who had cancer at one point of their lives.

Carrie Shaw, advancement officer at Exeter Hospital and the organizer of the event, said they expected 1,000 visitors for the event. Based on the crowds I saw there I am sure there were more than that throughout the course of the day.

Carrie was inspired by her sister, Anne-Marie Viviano, who passed away from cancer.  In 2002, Anne-Marie had created a charity called Beyond The Rainbow which was designed to help patients pay their bills and meet other financial obligations.  After her sister passed, Carried dedicated herself to continuing this charitable endeavor.  The Kites Against Cancer event is one of the events that helps raise funds for the Beyond The Rainbow charity.

As I watched the sun seekers flying their kites, it was heart warming to see people of all backgrounds and walks of life enjoying themselves.

But some people seemed more interested in the sand and water.

The types of kites being flown were just as diverse as the people flying them.

There were also vendors at the event such as DeNutte’s Delights.  DeNutte’s Delights produces $1,000 of goods to sell with all of the proceeds going to the Kites Against Cancer charity.  Whatever goods they do not sell at the event are donated to the charity.  Try the “Monkey Farts.”  Yes, that is an actual scent name of a product they sell.

Carrie has made Kites Against Cancer an annual event that has grown bigger and bigger each year.  This year’s event included face painting, a balloon shaping artist, a card which people could sign in memory of those who have been lost to or survived cancer as well as music and speeches by special guests.  There were also an estimated 50 to 60 volunteers helping to make sure the event off smoothly, according to Carrie.

Kites Against Cancer is also a dog friendly event.

Scout is a 3 year old Yellow Lab.

Tryton is a 14 month old mini Schnauzer.

Noah is an 11 year old Pomeranian.  He was wearing his special sweater for the event.

Rosie is a 15 week old English Bulldog

If you missed this year’s event, you can attend next year but you want to support this cause or if you want learn more about the Beyond The Rainbow Fund, click on the link below:

Beyond The Rainbow

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