For five years, Cassandra Velez of Queens, New York, has been visiting the Dolloff family in Boothbay as part of the Fresh Air Fund.

Velez has been hosted by Brian and Anne Dolloff, but since the couple works most days, much of the 15-year-old’s time has been spent with their 14-year-old daughter, Eve, and Eve’s grandmother Becky “Grams” Dolloff at her home on Adams Pond Road.

"We are best friends,” said Cassandra Velez who normally would  be spending her summers at her family apartment in Queens rather than catching mackerel and crabs on the Maine coast.

Of Puerto Rican descent, Cassandra has three brothers, whereas Eve is an only child.

"She is like my sister,” said Eve who works most mornings at Waves Restaurant in Boothbay Harbor, in order to earn money for a trip to Germany next year.

When she gets home from work, the teenagers often head to a nearby pool to share the afternoon together. A camper trailer is in the backyard, so the duo can play video games and plan sleepovers.

This summer they have visited Funtown Splashtown USA in Saco, and gone to Pemaquid Beach Park in Bristol. Last weekend the family went camping at the Forks in Somerset County, and the girls went whitewater rafting. 

"It was scary. I almost fell in,” said Cassandra.

When Velez returns to New York in September, she will be in the 10th grade at a school of 4,000 students, whereas Eve will attend Boothbay Regional High School with about 200 fellow students.

Although their normal environments differ greatly, when they come together the two immediately resume their friendship.

"I will come back as long as I can," Velez said. Next summer may be an exception because she is planning to attend an animal care program that she hopes will eventually lead to a career as a veterinarian.

The visits are enjoyed by Becky Dolloff, or “Grams,” as they call her. She offers some guidance in trying to supervise the girls in cooking and cleaning, but for the most part she just takes pleasure in hearing the girls sing and dance around the house.

The girls admit that they sometimes have squabbles, but usually make up within a half an hour.

What is Cassandra's favorite Maine food? Lobsters and corn on the cob, of course. Last summer Cassandra managed to eat five lobsters at a single sitting.

“I cry every time she leaves,” said Eve.

The Fresh Air program has brought New York kids, many of whom are from low-income communities, to the country since 1877.

Becky “Grams” Dolloff encourages other families to get involved with the Fresh Air Fund.

“More people should do this,” said Dolloff.