Our Why & About Us
Our goal is to provide social inclusion activities for adults 18+ with and without an intellectual disability. 603 United is dedicated to creating a community that fosters healthy relationships, healthy lifestyles, and inclusion. We provide opportunities for our members to participate in, but are not limited to; team sports, individual sports, arts and crafts, music, outdoor activities, indoor activities, and so much more. Our ultimate goal is for our Club Members and Volunteers to create friendships and memories that go beyond our program.
Our Leadership Team and Board Members
A little bit about us as a group first!
On May 4th, 2022 our board came together for the very first time. Some knowing one another and others meeting for the very first time. With various backgrounds and experience’s – our board members have been an essential part of 603 United’s start up. Each member brings something a little different to the table. Get to know them a little better below.
Leadership Team:

Cassie Contigiani
CEO / Executive Director
Cassie is native to the Lakes Region Area, she attended the Shaker Regional School District where she first learned about Unified Sports and then continued her education and athletic career at Thomas College in Waterville, Maine. Cassie received a Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Management in 2019 and went on to receive a Masters in Business Administration through Thomas College’s accelerated MBA program in 2020. Cassie was also selected to be the class speaker for her graduating class. After graduating in the midst of the pandemic, Cassie was hired at Thomas College as the Assistant Soccer and Softball Coach and as an admissions counselor. During her college athletic career she was a 5-year member and 3-year captain of the women’s soccer team and a 2-year member of the softball team. In 2019, she earned the Terrier Award and in 2020 she earned Female Senior Outstanding Athlete Award and the Rob Nutter Teammate Award. While she was a student at Thomas, she held leadership roles within the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, at Thomas and for the North Atlantic Conference where she had the opportunity to travel through the NCAA. Cassie also was the founder and president of the Special Olympics Club which began in the fall of 2017 after she was sidelined by a season ending injury. Cassie is a true believer in silver linings and due to tearing her ACL, she began the Special Olympics Club which extended her Senior Project from Belmont High School to Thomas College. Cassie is the founder and director of the Lakes Region Unified Basketball Jamboree which began in 2015. This jamboree is what sparked and clicked with Cassie that sports and athletics are so much more than winning and losing. After the first Jamboree, Cassie had the opportunity to be an ambassador at the 2015 Special Olympics World Games where she was able to represent New Hampshire and the United States.
Cassie is extremely excited to be home in New Hampshire, continuing what started as her senior project and is now become her full time job.

Ali Kriegel
Volunteer Coordinator
Ali, originally from Winslow, Maine currently works as an Assistant Director of Admissions at Plymouth State University. Ali spent the last ten years at Thomas College in Waterville, Maine coaching softball and field hockey, also serving on Thomas’ Guarantee the Future fundraising campaign committee for five years. Ali graduated from Thomas in 2011 with a Psychology degree, then went on to earn her Master of Business Administration through Thomas’ accelerated MBA program in 2012. In 2020 Ali earned her Master of Athletic Administration and Coaching from Concordia University Irvine. Additionally, she spent the past fourteen years working in operations for the Trek Across Maine, a cycling event, for the American Lung Association each June. In her free time Ali enjoys playing hockey, skiing, attending concerts, and hanging out with the 603 United crew as much as possible!
Board Members:

Kevin Shaw
Chair of the Board
Kevin Shaw has consistently been the top-ranked sales associate for the past 11 years at Roche Realty Group and statewide. In 2022, he was the firm’s top agent in sales, producing $34.4 million in volume for that year. In 2021 his sales were $42.1 million in volume.
Kevin is a lifelong resident of the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. He is now in his 23rd year at Roche Realty Group as an Associate Broker. Kevin came to Roche in 1999 after being president and owner of several companies within the area. Kevin gives many of his spare hours to local youth groups and sports organizations. He has coached soccer and baseball in Gilford at both the Middle School and High School levels over the past 30 years. He is currently very involved with Unified Sports, which joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same sports team to encourage friendship and understanding in the community. He is the president of the Shaw Memorial Scholarship Foundation which is an academic financial scholarship given annually through the Lakes Region Scholarship Foundation. In May of 2022, Kevin took his love for the community and his passion for helping others to found 603 United. 603 United is a 501C3 non profit organization that is an adult extension of Unified Sports. Kevin has pledged $250,000 over the next 10 years towards 603 United. Kevin donates 10 percent of all of his gross earnings to local sports programs, unified club programs, and the Gilford Middle High School Drama Department.
Kevin handles all facets of real estate within the Lakes Region, Whether it is a residential home, commercial, or an income property, Kevin can handle your transaction, and also handles property management.
Having grown up around the lakes and mountains, Kevin has a vast knowledge of the area, which has led to a steady increase in his real estate clientele over the years. Given Kevin’s experience with property management, he is always willing to give advice to any buyer looking to purchase property as a rental or commercial investment.
In his free time Kevin enjoys all facets of the lake in the summer, such as boating, sailing, jet skiing, fishing, snorkeling, and water skiing, while residing at his home on Lake Opechee. You will often see him on Lake Winnipesaukee cruising in his 1930 wooden Chris Craft, aptly named “Closing Time”.
In the winter, Kevin enjoys skiing the various mountains New Hampshire has to offer, as well as “fat tire” mountain biking and snowshoeing throughout the state’s various trail systems.
Kevin was featured in an episode of HGTV’s Lakefront Bargain Hunt (“Winnipesaukee Way” / June 2016).
He was also chosen by the national publication, Top Agent Magazine, as their Top Real Estate Agent, and was featured on the front cover in April 2017.
You can reach Kevin at the Laconia / South Down Shores office of Roche Realty Group, by calling (603) 528-0088 (office) or (603) 387-4778 (cell) or by e-mail, kevinshawsells@gmail.com
Agent website: www.kevinshawrealty.com

Chris Curran
Vice Chair of the Board
When Chris was 2 months old, his family moved from FL to MA and they have called New England home ever since. Chris’s family eventually settled in Gilford, NH where he attended elementary and middle school. Next was high school at the Holderness School in Plymouth, NH before heading south to Orlando, FL for college. In 2004 Chris graduated from Rollins College with a BA in International Business. He decided to continue his education and attended the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College where he attained his MBA with concentrations in Entrepreneurship and Finance. After graduate school he worked for RCI, a subsidiary of Wyndham Worldwide, in Orlando for 4 years before moving to Singapore to reorganize their Asian-Pacific business segment. Today, Chris work’s for his family business as a resort developer and live’s in Meredith, NH with his wife Jenn and 2 sons Wally & Callahan. You can usually find them outside as much as possible enjoying the wonderful New England landscapes and seasons!

Garrett Lavallee
Garrett has worked at Spaulding Academy and Family Services for 23 years. He is currently the Principal and Special Education Director. Prior to that he was the Assistant Special Education Director and a Special Education Teacher. He has volunteered for years with the Special Olympics and coaching local soccer teams. He’s married to Jaclyn who is also a Special Education Teacher and BCBA. Garrett has two children: Hendrix and Keegan and a dog named Kaya. He love’s to travel, go to concerts, cook, play golf, and spend time with friends and family. He’s born and raised in the Lakes Region and attended Gilford Schools, played Basketball and Soccer in high school and he’s in the Gilford Athletic Hall of Fame with Kevin Shaw. He continued and played soccer in College at Colby-Sawyer and he’s on the top 10 all-time scoring list. He’s extremley passionate about serving our community and doing what he can to support inclusion and equal opportunities for everyone within our community.

Lisa Bianco
Lisa is an attorney at a small law firm in Concord. Her practice focuses on estate planning, family law, and civil litigation. Prior to this, Lisa worked for former Governor John Lynch in a variety of positions, assisting with campaigns and political fundraising. Lisa grew up in the Lakes Region and is a proud Gilford Golden Eagle alum, where she also coached middle school field hockey and softball. In addition to serving as a 603 Board Member, Lisa enjoys boating, beaching, and being auntie to her niece and nephews.

Michelle Barron
Michelle is a long time Gilford resident, bringing many years of Special Education experience to the board. Graduating with a BA in Psychology, followed by a Masters in School Counseling and schooling in School Psychology, Michelle worked in public Special Education for over 15 years. Currently, Michelle serves as the Family Services Administrator at Spaulding Academy and Family Services. Michelle lives with her husband and two young children in Gilford and is looking forward to bringing inclusive activities and FUN to the Lakes Region!

Chad Davis
Chad Davis is in his 26th year as a Physical Education teacher in the Shaker Regional School District at Belmont Middle School in Belmont, New Hampshire. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, he is a Building Team Leadership Member, Unified Arts Leader, mentor for future physical education teachers, and Head Unified Basketball Coach. Chad is also a certified New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association sports official for soccer, basketball and women’s lacrosse. Recently, Chad was named the Executive Director of the Winnipesaukee Sailing Academy in Gilford, NH. In Chad’s spare time, his hobbies include watching his kids participate in extracurricular activities, boating, and reading, as well as enjoying all that the Lakes Region has to offer. Chad and his family reside in Laconia, NH.

Laurie Belanger
Laurie recently retired from a 30 plus year career as a School Counselor, where her favorite part of the day was coaching Unified Sports and being the advisor for the Unified Club. Laurie now work’s part time at NHTI.
Laurie’s married to Ken for 36 years, and they have 3 kids: Molly, Ben and Gerron and a bonus son: our daughter’s husband Matt. They also love dogs and have an English Cocker Spaniel named Chunk. 🙂 They live in Gilmanton.
In her free time she love’s to read, cook, travel and spend time at their camp in Maine.

Gerron Belanger
Club Member
My name is Gerron Belanger, I’m a former student from Gilford High School, I work as a front end associate at Hannaford in Gilford, NH. I love making music with the guitar, harmonica, piano, mandolin, etc, I play guitar and sing in my church choir, and I love nature, baking, cooking, camping, and fishing. I enjoy being a part of the 603 United