NH Business Notebook: Taking on a tower

United Way of Greater Nashua rappelling fundraiser ‘edges’ past $200,000

Ash Sullivan signals she’s ready to rappel down the side of the Brady Sullivan Plaza during the Over the Edge fundraiser June 23. Sullivan, 25, is a commercial property manager for building owner Brady Sullivan Properties, a company co-founded by her father, Arthur Sullivan. (Photo by Jason Greenleaf)

While walking back to my car after a meeting in downtown Manchester in June, I spotted three people suspended by climbing ropes along the east side of the Brady Sullivan Plaza.

Mike Cote

What’s going on here? I was intrigued and walked down the road to get a closer look.

Just two days before, the United Way of Greater Nashua hosted “Over the Edge,” a fundraiser during which dozens of people rappelled down the 24-story office building to raise money for more than 20 New Hampshire nonprofits.

Who the heck were these new people? Professionals. As I raised my phone and zoomed in with my camera, I could see they were equipped with accessories the “edgers” did not have.

Buckets and squeegees. I celebrated my third year as editor of NH Business Review and New Hampshire Magazine by making my third trip down the side of the 300-foot tower, joining fellow edgers to help raise more than $200,000.

But I will forever remain an amateur, having no desire to join a window-washing crew who do this every day. I doubt these guys wear GoPro cameras on their heads to record the journey. It’s just their job.

24-story storytelling

The first time I rappelled with a GoPro camera attached to my helmet, I wasted the opportunity to narrate the adventure. I had more important things to worry about, like figuring out how to properly release the rope to make my descent.

Once I got going, I mostly yelled “rock ‘n roll!” at regular intervals, pumped up by excess adrenaline.

This time it would be different, I thought, as I dropped down a few feet from the roof of the 24-story building, catching glimpses of downtown Manchester through the reflection of the giant windows.

It would have been more fun if I could have seen through the windows, since about half the building has been converted from office space into apartments. It’s an odd feeling to bounce against glass that might be the view from someone’s living room.

During my sometimes breathless narration — hey, you try talking and rappelling at the same time — I took a few moments to celebrate the West Side of Manchester, where I was raised and where most of my childhood memories reside.

The church steeple of Ste. Marie Parish is one of the most iconic structures in the city. I attended sixth grade at the school and was recruited from time to time to read from the Gospel at the 7 a.m. Mass — not a big stretch for an altar boy from St. John the Baptist (now known as the Church of the Transfiguration).

While the view of Rock Rimmon is better from the roof of Brady Sullivan Plaza, that big rock was still visible from the side of the building. I recalled how my brothers and I would spend summer afternoons at nearby Dupont Pool, where we would meet girls. The public swimming pool was replaced by a splash pad several years ago, and what once were tennis courts are now a hot spot for pickleball.

I also gave a shoutout during my narration to Randy Pierce, president and CEO of Future In Sight New Hampshire, a nonprofit that provides services to people who are blind or visually impaired. Pierce, who has rappelled down the side of Brady Sullivan Plaza at least four times, inspired me the first time I participated, when I made the transition from interviewing people for a news story about the event to joining them.

While I didn’t shout “rock ‘n’ roll” this time around, I did mention more than once the sweet sound of voices down below that start growing in volume as you make your final descent. Touching ground — even without a squeegee in hand — feels like a job completed.

Mike Cote is the editor of NH Business Review. Contact him at mikecote@yankeepub.com.