Rolling Thunder ®, Inc. - New Hampshire Chapter One

Incorporated in 1995, Rolling Thunder, Inc. is a class 501(c)(4) non-profit organization with over 88 chartered chapters throughout the United States and members abroad. While many members of Rolling Thunder are veterans, and many ride motorcycles, neither qualification is a prerequisite. Rolling Thunder members are old and young, men and women, veterans and non-veterans. All are united in the cause to bring full accountability for POWs and MIAs of all wars, reminding the government, the media and the public by their watchwords: “We Will Not Forget.”

Rolling Thunder, Inc. spends hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in financial aid, food, clothing and other essentials to veterans, homeless veterans and veterans' families in need, women's' crisis centers and toys for children.

The Linda Jo Fund

Linda Josephine Novak-Paugh, 45, of Seabrook Beach, lost her battle with ovarian cancer on December 6, 2009. Raised in Leominster, Mass., she was a graduate of Leominster High School and a graduate of Hesser College in Portsmouth. Linda met her husband, Michael L. Paugh, when she was 14, and they were a couple for many years prior to their marriage in 2004.

Linda, with her husband, owned and operated Zapstix Surf Shop since 1990. Before coming to Seabrook Beach, the business had been in Hampton Beach and York Beach, Maine. She was also a preschool teacher and loved working with children. She used her teaching skills by running children's surf camps for many years. Linda loved animals, especially dogs and horses, and spent many hours visiting and comforting them at the N.H. SPCA in Stratham.

The fund established in her memory continues to support her causes with helping children and is a legacy to the caring and compassion of this wonderful woman.

The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism

The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism was established by NFL quarterback Doug Flutie and his wife, Laurie, in honor of their son, Doug, Jr. who was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. Doug and Laurie are fortunate to have the resources to provide their son with the educational opportunities, special equipment and tools necessary for Doug, Jr. to live a happy and rewarding life. They realize, however, that there are thousands of families of children with autism who struggle every day to pay for similar services. Their primary objective is to provide families with a place to turn when they are in need of support and autism resources.

The Foundation awards grants on an annual basis to nonprofit organizations that provide services for children with autism and to organizations that conduct research on the causes and effects of autism. To date, the Fluties have given over $5 million for grants and programs in New England, New York, New Jersey, southern California, at the national level, and in Canada. The Foundation, in a partnership with Hewlett Packard and Mindshare Collaborative, has also distributed over 350 computers to underprivileged families of children with autism and their school districts in New England and New York.