VeraniCARES Celebrates Londonderry Rail Trail, Makes $2,500 Donation to Fund Expansion

For southern New Hampshire residents who want to take a walk or a bike ride through nature, the Londonderry Rail Trail has been a welcome addition. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Verani Realty (Verani) is a neighbor of the rail trail, and recently held a celebration on the trail to present Londonderry Trailways, a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization dedicated to improving access to recreational trails in Londonderry, with $2,500 to help expand it.

The donation was made through VeraniCARES, the company’s philanthropy and social development initiative where agents and staff have the opportunity to raise fund through donations. Verani Realty then matches a portion of each donation.

“My office overlooks the rail trail, and I can’t tell you how many people I see walking down it,” said Giovanni Verani, president of Verani Realty. “I actually think it’s a selling feature to the homes in Londonderry. Residents enjoy it, our staff and agents enjoy it, and we’re proud to contribute to the vision of expanding it through a beautiful part of town.”

The Londonderry Rail Trail is a cooperative effort between Londonderry Trailways and the Town of Londonderry to complete six miles of trail on an abandoned rail corridor in North Londonderry. Londonderry Trailways recently obtained funding at town meeting for phase 4, a critical piece that crosses Route 28, and will start work on it next month. The VeraniCARES donation officially kicked off funding for phase 5, which they plan to tackle next year.

“What’s really neat about phase 5 is that a few years ago it was completely impassable,” said Bob Rimhol, Rail Trail project manager. “It was overgrown with trees and really terrible brush. It still had railroad tracks on it. We removed all the trees and the brush, and we removed the railroad tracks, and if you walk down it today, it is so beautiful with the Cohas. You’ll see plenty of wildlife, and it’s just going to be incredible when it’s done.”

Phase 5 will run from Mammoth Road to Harvey Road, passing through Little Cohas Marsh and giving trail users access to what Rail Trail Committee member John P. Daley calls “the most beautiful part of Londonderry no one knows about.”

Londonderry Trailways is dedicated to improving access to recreational trails in Londonderry. The Londonderry Rail Trail project started in 2012 and is approximately 50% complete. The goal is to connect it with the Derry and Manchester rail trails, making it part of the 20-mile project known as the Granite State Rail Trail. Visit www.londonderrytrails.org to learn more.

To learn more about VeraniCARES, visit verani.com.