Loudon - Speedway Children's Charities of New Hampshire has awarded a $2,500 grant to On Belay, a nonprofit organization offering free adventure-based support programs to children in northern New England whose families have been affected by cancer. The New Hampshire Motor Speedway became a part of the Speedway Motorsports company in 2008. Each speedway in the Speedway Motorsports family hosts a "Children's Charities" chapter, which is responsible for raising and distributing funds in the local region. Speedway Children's Charities works to improve the lives of children by providing funds for hundreds of non-profit organizations throughout the nation that meet the direct needs of children, no matter what obstacle they are facing.

On Belay, the beneficiary of a $2,500 NH Speedway Children's Charities grant, provides adventure-based support programs to children aged nine to nineteen who are living with or have lost a family member to cancer. On Belay programs are free to all participants, thanks in large part to sponsors such as Speedway Children's Charities. This particular grant will go toward On Belay's efforts to expand program offerings to climbing gyms throughout New England, including the Maine Rock Gym in Portland, Metro Rock in Boston, PetraCliffs in Bolton, VT, and Indoor Ascent in Dover, NH.

Each On Belay program session provides up to twenty-five children from northern New England access to adventure activities like rock climbing and high ropes course work. Facilitators use the activities to create a metaphor for participants, teaching them if they can find a way through these challenges, they can overcome anything. At each program participants connect with other children facing similar challenges, think creatively, challenge themselves, support others, ask for help and build physical and emotional confidence and a community to remind them that they are not alone.
On Belay sessions are offered all year for children living in New Hampshire, Vermont, southern Maine, and northern Massachusetts.

To register for the program or for more information about On Belay, visit www.on-belay.org or email questions to info@on-belay.org.

For more information on the New Hampshire chapter of Speedway Children's Charities, please visit: http://newhampshire.speedwaycharities.org/.