The NASWA Resort Is Central Part Of Motorcycle Week
By Thomas P. Caldwell
The 101st Laconia Motorcycle Week runs June 8 - 16 this year, and other than the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association itself, the entity most closely associated with the annual event is the NASWA Resort. Not only does the NASWA kick off the nine-day event with the Peter Makris Memorial Run on Saturday, June 8, it has special activities all week long, with live music at the beachfront NazBar & Grill and Late Night at the Blue Bistro.
The 18th annual Peter Makris Memorial Run is a fundraiser for the Laconia Fire Department’s Life Saving Fund and its rescue boats; the Easter Seals’ Veterans Count program that serves the active-duty military, veterans, and families; the Lakes Region Community Emergency Response Team; the Belknap House, a homeless shelter for families; the New Hampshire Veterans’ Home in Tilton; and Building Dreams For Marines, a non-profit group that retrofits the homes of veterans with combat-related mobility issues to make them more accessible by building interior and exterior ramps, renovating kitchens, bedrooms, and baths, widening doorways and hallways, and installing such things as grab bars, swing-away hinges, and fixtures such as sinks, cabinets, toilets, and roll-in showers.
Cynthia Makris, Peter’s daughter, serves vice-chair of the Lakes Region Chapter of Veterans Count, a program offering case management and emergency financial assistance to service members, veterans, and their families. The Peter Makris Run has donated more than $500,000 to Veterans Count over the years.
The Peter Makris Memorial Run was established in June 2007 in the wake of Peter’s untimely death following a tough illness. His family and friends created the memorial run as a lasting tribute to celebrate his life and his love for both motorcycling and the Laconia community.
The event begins with continental breakfast and registration at the NASWA Resort between 8 and 9:30 a.m., where participants gather to pay their respects and share stories of their experiences with Peter. The riders will receive a wrist band, pin, and a chip for a free beer “on Peter”.
“The atmosphere is one of celebration, camaraderie, and a shared passion for motorcycles and the open road,” Cynthia said.
Opening ceremonies will take place at 10 a.m. with a Blessing of the Bikes across the street in the NASWA parking lot on Weirs Boulevard.
Kickstands go up at 10:30 a.m. for a ride around Lake Winnipesaukee, with no traffic, thanks to the escort of state and local police. The scenic ride takes participants through picturesque landscapes, wending through the small towns and along the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee. For the last couple of years, the ride has included a chance to go around the Loudon NASCAR track at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The route, Cynthia says, “is carefully selected to showcase the natural beauty of the region and serves as a fitting backdrop for this tribute.”
There will be an after-ride party, beginning at 12:30 p.m., at the NAZBar & Grill, featuring a gourmet lunch — “A Kick Ass BBQ Buffet” — prepared by Boston Celebrity Chef Anthony Ambrose. There also will be a 50/50 raffle and live music by the James Montgomery Band.
Last year’s run attracted a record 420 riders, raising more than $575,000 for the charities.
“What sets the Peter Makris Memorial Run apart is the palpable sense of camaraderie and unity that permeates the event,” Cynthia said. “Riders from various backgrounds come together, led first by the NH State and local police and by the U.S. Marine Corps Leathernecks, of which Peter Makris was a member, forming bonds and friendships forged through a mutual love for riding. It is a testament to the enduring spirit of brotherhood that lies at the heart of the motorcycling community.”
Other Motorcycle Week activities at the NASWA Resort include the NazBar Tattoo Contest on Thursday, June 13, at 6 p.m. Winners in each category, male and female and Best of Show, will receive a trophy.
Peter is the son-in-law of NASWA founders Jim and Fannie Salta, marrying their daughter, Hope. He was an attorney and a community leader, and was instrumental in bringing businesses together to purchase the Laconia Fire Department’s first water rescue boat.
Jim and Fannie Salta were immigrants from Lesbos, Greece, and they purchased the original property in 1935 after discovering that it had a natural spring with water that tested 100 percent pure. They established the business as the Natural Spring Water Company — the basis for the NASWA name. Their general store also sold homemade baked beans cooked in an outdoor oven.
Acting upon their customers’ questions about where they could find a place to stay while visiting the area, they built five one-room cabins — the NASWA Spring Water Cabins. During the 1940s, they purchased the waterfront property, and in the 1950s, Peter built the cottages that exist today.
According to the NASWA’s website, “Decades later, when Laconia’s tourists and traffic increased and the NASWA’s visible roadside location attracted many visitors, the name changed to the NASWA Motor Inn. As the resort added more food, entertainment, and features, it again outgrew its name and became The NASWA Resort.”
The business would add docks, kayaks, paddle boats, and the S.S. NASWA, a 34-foot Sea Ray Amberjack boat, while offering fine dining in the Blue Bistro and casual dining at the NazBar & Grill. Today, there is a large waterfront building and the NASWA is known as Laconia Motorcycle Week’s Official Hotel.
This past May, the New Hampshire Tourism Summit presented its Dick Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award to Hope Makris, who has worked in tourism for 89 years and remains the NASWA’s owner.
Those looking to stay at the NASWA Resort will find the hotel to be pet-friendly, with certain rooms set aside for guests with pets, as long as they observe certain protocols, such as having dogs on leashes when not in the rooms, and not bring them into public areas unless they are guide dogs.