Events

Registration Open Now – Closes December 9, 2025

Help us make Andover shine bright this holiday season!

Join the Rotary Club of Andover for our 1st Annual Holiday Lights Contest. Compete for bragging rights in the following categories:

• Best House
• Best Neighborhood
• Best Business
• Best Professionally Installed Display

Key Dates:

• Registration Deadline: December 9th, at midnight
• Judging: December 10th (ensure your lights are on!)
• Winners Announced: December 15th

Entry Fee: $20
Register: Click here to register

Location: Andover, MA (Participants’ homes, neighborhoods, or businesses)

Contact: For more info, visit the registration link or contact Event Chair Jamie.

Let’s light up Andover together!

Ellen is the Executive Vice President of Ozzy Properties, Inc and has been actively engaged in the field of commercial property development and historic building renovation for nearly 25 years.  She is fully accountable for all day-to-day property operations, overseeing and enhancing the value of the property portfolio comprising over a million SF of office and industrial space and nearly 200 residential units.  She manages a team of building managers, tradesmen and administrative personnel and has solid construction management experience.  Ellen was appointed to the Permanent Town Building Advisory Committee by the Town Manager in 2019 and is the current Chairperson.

Lazarus House Food Pantry (aka St. Martha’s Food Pantry) supplies healthy groceries to over 1900 families each week. The Pantry offers a dignified shopping experience, allowing choices and greater independence and planning.

On Mondays, Volunteers help unload food delivery truck, and may help stock shelves too.

2nd Monday of each month...with 4 volunteers from The Rotary Club of Andover

Lazarus House Food Pantry (aka St. Martha’s Food Pantry) supplies healthy groceries to over 1900 families each week. The Pantry offers a dignified shopping experience, allowing choices and greater independence and planning.

YESTERDAY, The Lazarus Food Pantry's truck had a radiator leak, and had to be repaired.  It was unable to make its usual weekly pickup in Boston.
It's now FIXED, will be picked up soon, and then head to the Greater Boston Food Bank to get 9,000 lb of non-perishable foods for the Merrimack Valley...and will be back and ready to unlead TODAY starting around 11:00 am, and wrapping up by 1:00 pm.  Ideally we have at least a couple of Andover Rotary volunteers able to help!  They're slightly short staffed there right now.  The food pantry is staged and prepared upstairs for tomorrow's guests coming to get food fortunately, BUT this "new" food need to get unloaded/sorted (and must be unloaded before the cans freeze), and prepared for next week's distribution for its guests.

Typically on Mondays, Volunteers help unload food delivery truck, and may help stock shelves too.

2nd Monday of each month...with 4 volunteers from The Rotary Club of Andover

Judith Hull has worked for Community Heart & Soul since 2021 as a coach and market development consultant. Judith notes: “I really believe in Community Heart & Soul as an effective tool for long-lasting change because it is a resident-driven process that emphasizes the positive. Stories that residents contribute about why they love their communities builds new relationships, trust, and a strong foundation for long-term planning.”

Her experience with community work is long-standing and she considers facilitation, listening, critical thinking, and teamwork important strengths. She is a member of both the Northern New England and the Massachusetts Chapters of the APA.

Judith taught for several decades in professional schools of architecture where attention to urban planning and community development are fundamental to the curriculum and where she honed her skills as a facilitator in leading classroom discussions. She received a B.A. from Binghamton University, an M.A. from UMASS Amherst, and holds a PhD in the history of architecture from Columbia University.

Please help as a server at the Run for the Troops Military Veterans Luncheon.
The guests will connect, share stories, and enjoy good food together.
Tuesday 12/16, from 12:00-2:00 (Guests arriving at 12:30).

This will take place at the VFW Post 2014 in North Andover

You, your family and guests are cordially invited to celebrate the holidays with us on Thursday, December 18th starting at 5:30 pm at the home of Mary Ann Millar in Andover. Appetizers and dinner buffet will be provided.  If you would like to bring a dessert or beverage to share or need Mary Ann's address, please email Diana who will be coordinating incoming fare.

We will also be collecting unwrapped gifts for kids and teens and canned food to benefit the Andover/No. Andover YMCA who generously offers meeting space throughout the year for our Club.  this Amazon Wish/Gift List includes items directed to mostly teens but gifts for all ages are welcome.  Gifts from the wish list can be mailed directly to the YMCA if preferred.

RSVP by signing up online (click blue button under Online Registration to the left) by Thursday, Dec. 4th. If you are signing up for more than one person, please use the appropriate registration category to help ensure adequate food.  If you missed the sign-up deadline, contact Diana.

Looking forward to celebrating another joyeous season together!

This year, The Rotary Club of Andover be competing to regain our title for the biggest cash haul in the Merrimack Valley to benefit the Lawrence Salvation Army. The Free Christian Church will try their best to hold onto the title that we previously held for eight consecutive years. We may have been the Washington Generals last year but we're lacing up our shoes and returning as the Harlem Globetrotters. (If you are under 40, you may have to ask a Boomer or Wikipedia.)  

...But, only if you join in the merrment on Tuesday, December 23rd from 9 am to 5 pm in front of Andover Old Town Hall. 

Sign up for one or more one hour shifts. Shifts involve serious emoting, like dancing, singing and (if you're Doug Mercurio) begging. Friends and family members are invited!

Questions, contact Coordinator: Mark Spencer  or 978-884-6958

The Good Shepherd Soup Kitchen at Lazarus House provides freshly prepared hot meals for more than 300 people a day at breakfast and lunch sittings.  Volunteers serve food to the individuals who stop in for a hot meal and socialization.  4th Thursday of each month...with 4 volunteers from The Rotary Club of Andover.

(In December 2025, we're serving food on FRIDAY 12/26, day after Christmas.

260 Park Street (Corner Park and Exchange);  Lawrence, MA

Lazarus House Soup Kitchen has provided over 46,765 healthy home-cooked meals. The Soup Kitchen serves 250 meals for breakfast and lunch every day, directly supporting individuals and families facing the challenges of homelessness and food insecurity.

A request has been made to the Rotary Club of Andover for Tuesday, December 30. Approximately 11:45 to 12:45. At 412 Hampshire St. unloading from truck to conveyor belt and then unloading down in the basement.

Lazarus House Food Pantry (aka St. Martha’s Food Pantry) supplies healthy groceries to over 1900 families each week. The Pantry offers a dignified shopping experience, allowing choices and greater independence and planning.

This request is being made due to the need for food assistance. Rotary Club Of Andover was asked to assist. The need is for 4 or 5 individuals to help with unloading food. The work includes unloading from a truck to a conveyer belt. Then unloading in the basement from the conveyer belt.

Lazarus House Food Pantry (aka St. Martha’s Food Pantry) supplies healthy groceries to over 2,000 families many weeks.
The Pantry offers a dignified shopping experience, allowing choices and greater independence and planning. Volunteers distribute food at a specific “station”.

1st Wednesday of each month...with 4 volunteers from The Rotary Club of Andover

Lots of standing.  LIght lifting (No heavy lifting required).; 
Minimum age 14

Lazarus House Food Pantry (aka St. Martha’s Food Pantry) supplies healthy groceries to over 1900 families each week. The Pantry offers a dignified shopping experience, allowing choices and greater independence and planning.

On Mondays, Volunteers help unload food delivery truck, and may help stock shelves too.

2nd Monday of each month...with 4-5 volunteers from The Rotary Club of Andover

Lydia is the founder and CEO of Simplify the Journey LLC, an adult special needs consulting business for adults and those approaching adulthood with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, including autism. She educates families on the financial benefits, supports, and services available to their loved one and provides strategies to maximize these financial benefits and guidance to access the supports and services necessary to create a meaningful life. She is available for one-on-one consultations, workshops, trainings, and speaking engagements.

Lydia resides in Andover with her husband Brian. They have four adult children, including two who have autism.

www.simplifythejourney.net

The Good Shepherd Soup Kitchen at Lazarus House provides freshly prepared hot meals for more than 300 people a day at breakfast and lunch sittings.  Volunteers serve food to the individuals who stop in for a hot meal and socialization.  4th Thursday of each month...with 4 volunteers from The Rotary Club of Andover.

260 Park Street (Corner Park and Exchange);  Lawrence, MA

This District 7930 Mid Year Leadership Meeting is highly recommended for all current club Presidents, Presidents-Elect and President Nominees and ANY Rotarian interested in enhancing their leadership skills and contributing to the District's mission. 

New members are also invited and will have the opportunity to learn more about Rotary and the District.  

For more info and to register: CLICK HERE

Nick DiSalvatore is an educator and wellness mentor based out of Beverly, MA. He holds a PhD in Systematic Theology from Boston College, and he teaches philosophy and theology in the Boston area, including at Merrimack College where he is a full-time professor. He has over a decade of experience mentoring young people in their transition into adulthood, with a focus on intellectual, moral, spiritual, and vocational development.

UPDATE:  Due to the storm, this fundraiser will be rescheduled to a future date. Stay tuned!

Join us on Monday, January 26th, 2026 at Otto Pizza in Andover for a community fundraiser.  10% of ALL sales for the day (eat-in, take out and delivery) will benefit the Andover Rotary Charitable Trust. 

If you would like to dine with your favorite Rotarian(s), some of us will be meeting for lunch at 12:15 pm and dinner at 5:30 pm.  To join us, please sign-up. 

A coupon code will not be needed for your order to count.  Please help spread the word!

The Rev. Craig A. Phillips, Ph.D. is a retired Episcopal priest and Professor of Religion. He currently teaches as a Lecturer in Theology at St. Anselm College in Manchester, NH.

Craig is a member of the Rotary Club of Milford, NH, where he resides with his wife, Marguerite.

He graduated from Brown University, earned his Master of Divinity at Harvard University, and received his doctorate from Duke University. He has taught at many colleges and universities.

Craig also has served in a variety of ministry settings in the Episcopal Dioceses of Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Missouri, and Oklahoma.

His blog may be found at https://craigphillips.co and his free Substack page at https://craigphillips.substack.com.

Lazarus House Food Pantry (aka St. Martha’s Food Pantry) supplies healthy groceries to over 2,000 families many weeks.
The Pantry offers a dignified shopping experience, allowing choices and greater independence and planning. Volunteers distribute food at a specific “station”.

1st Wednesday of each month...with 4 volunteers from The Rotary Club of Andover

Lots of standing.  LIght lifting (No heavy lifting required).

Fifteen years ago, Andrew joined ALKU as an intern. He was just trying to figure out who he was as a professional and where he could contribute to a new and exciting specialty staffing company recently founded. He had the opportunity to grow, lead, and learn from some of the best people in the business. His journey may sound unique, but he's proud to say it’s just business as usual at ALKU. ALKU is a company that develops talent from within, giving employees every chance to thrive and it's right here in Andover!

Lazarus House Food Pantry (aka St. Martha’s Food Pantry) supplies healthy groceries to over 1900 families each week. The Pantry offers a dignified shopping experience, allowing choices and greater independence and planning.

On Mondays, Volunteers help unload food delivery truck, and may help stock shelves too.

2nd Monday of each month...with 4-5 volunteers from The Rotary Club of Andover

You are cordially invited to the District's World Peace & Understanding Fundraising Event on Thursday, Feb. 12th, 5:30-9 p at Spinelli's in Lynnfield.

The topic will be Navigating the Polio Vaccine During Turbulent Times! with keynote speaker PDG Mike McGovern, special guest PDG Eric Denu (D7850) and invited guests - Inbound Global Scholars from Australia and Taiwan Youth Exchange Students from Argentina and Thailand.

For more info and to register: CLICK HERE.

Community-driven collaboration is at the core of our work, and we focus on bringing employers, municipal leaders, and professionals together to expand opportunity. We partner closely with companies across the region to understand their workforce needs and build pathways that serve both businesses and the broader community. Veterans and Military Spouses bring strong, transferable skills that can directly support these businesses.  Casssandra will highlight how this approach can complement Andover’s economic growth efforts and support businesses of all sizes.

The Village Food Hub is a nonprofit organization that increases access to healthy and nutritious food, while also reducing waste and promoting environmental sustainability.

2 volunteers will help sort and package (and/or unload) a truckload of food donated by  Whole Foods.

No heavy lifting required.  

3rd Friday of Each Month

Lazarus House Food Pantry (aka St. Martha’s Food Pantry) supplies healthy groceries to over 1900 families each week. The Pantry offers a dignified shopping experience, allowing choices and greater independence and planning.

On Mondays, Volunteers help unload food delivery truck, and may help stock shelves too.

2nd Monday of each month...with 4-5 volunteers from The Rotary Club of Andover

SPECIAL DATE-TUE FEB  23

The Good Shepherd Soup Kitchen at Lazarus House provides freshly prepared hot meals for more than 300 people a day at breakfast and lunch sittings.  Volunteers serve food to the individuals who stop in for a hot meal and socialization.  4th Thursday of each month...with 4 volunteers from The Rotary Club of Andover.

260 Park Street (Corner Park and Exchange);  Lawrence, MA

Although most widely known as a world Champion Archer who beat 2 countries in 12 languages, he is so much more than that. Sean is a modern day Robin Hood who uses his vast talents to help others whenever possible. A teacher of design and manufacturing for over 30 years, Sean has produced many of the products you see and use in the outdoors. When Sean witnessed an ice skating tragedy on a lake with multiple victims and first responders in peril, Sean immediately went to work on a solution.

Today, Sean will be discussing his patented Ice Rescue Tool for first responders. The ADK 3 in 1 Ice Rescue Tool is celebrated the worldover as the most effective and safe ice rescue tool ever built.

Sean is currently a Licensed Professional Outdoor Guide and the Hunting and Shooting Sports Specialist for Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife. He resides with his 3 boys in North Reading.

Lazarus House Food Pantry (aka St. Martha’s Food Pantry) supplies healthy groceries to over 2,000 families many weeks.
The Pantry offers a dignified shopping experience, allowing choices and greater independence and planning. Volunteers distribute food at a specific “station”.

1st Wednesday of each month...with 4 volunteers from The Rotary Club of Andover

Lots of standing.  LIght lifting (No heavy lifting required).

Samer Abouhamad is a Boston-based adventurer, long-distance cyclist, and motivational speaker. Between 2022 and 2025, he completed a 46,000-mile solo cycling journey across six continents, traveling fully self-supported through 61 countries. Now back home, he shares lessons on resilience, navigating uncertainty, and the power of human connection with companies, schools, and community groups. His talk, Pedaling Over Impossible, highlights stories from the road and the mindset shifts that helped him transform a dream into a reality.  

Lazarus House Food Pantry (aka St. Martha’s Food Pantry) supplies healthy groceries to over 1900 families each week. The Pantry offers a dignified shopping experience, allowing choices and greater independence and planning.

On Mondays, Volunteers help unload food delivery truck, and may help stock shelves too.

2nd Monday of each month...with 4-5 volunteers from The Rotary Club of Andover

Enjoy Irish music, Irish eyes, Irish laughter, Irish history and maybe a leprechaun or two! 

Please join Bill Pennington and his family for a heartfelt Celebration of Life in memory of Greg.

Join us on Monday, March 16th, 2026 at Otto Pizza in Andover for a community fundraiser.  10% of ALL sales for the day (eat-in, take out and delivery) will benefit the Andover Rotary Charitable Trust. 

Dine on your own time or join some of your favorite Rotarian(s) for lunch at 12:15 pm and/or dinner at 5:30 pm.  To join us, please sign-up. 

A coupon code will not be needed for your order to count.  Please help spread the word!

On Wednesday March 18th, Andover Rotarians (and friends of Rotary) will get to pack and deliver meals!

10:00 am:  TWO people to help pack food from 10:00 am-10:45 am

10:45 am:  TWELVE people (6 "teams" of 2/team) will pair up and deliver meals to people around town (10:45 am-12:30 pm)
                    (Deliver, say hello, chat, and offer a smile!)

12:30 pm:  ALL participants (and friend who couldn't help too) encouraged to come together for a meal downtown together.
(location TBD)
 

The Robb Center is our beautifully renovated senior center located at 30 Whittier Ct, Andover MA 01810. The Center is a place for all in our community to socialize, volunteer, engage in an activity or simply relax and enjoy the day. 

Lazarus House Ministry has 50+ full and part-time staff, 5000+ volunteers, and 6500 donors working together to serve the most vulnerable people of Lawrence, MA – people struggling with material poverty, homelessness and food insecurity. We are a community.  Gail will bring her team to speak about opportunities for everyone to participate and ask questions about areas that are of interest to them.

The Good Shepherd Soup Kitchen at Lazarus House provides freshly prepared hot meals for more than 300 people a day at breakfast and lunch sittings.  Volunteers serve food to the individuals who stop in for a hot meal and socialization.  4th Thursday of each month...with 4 volunteers from The Rotary Club of Andover.

260 Park Street (Corner Park and Exchange);  Lawrence, MA

Abigail (Abbe) Wertz is the Trauma Program Manager at MerrimackHealth in Lawrence, a role she has held since 2020 after more than two decades of service as an Emergency Room nurse. With 23 years of frontline ER experience and 13 years as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Abbe’ career centers on trauma informed patient care and community safety.

In the role of Trauma Program Manager Abbe is active in the Merrimack Valley in injury prevention and education: teaching Stop the Bleed classes in schools and community groups to help the layperson identify and take steps to control severe bleeding while waiting for 911, organizing and supporting town Bike Rodeos to promote safe riding and helmet use, and sponsoring a biannual car seat safety check in Lawrence where Car Seat Patient Safety Technicians check the installation and appropriate size and condition of car seats.

A resident of Haverhill for the past 27 years, Abbe is active in the community primarily in the area of food insecurity. Abbe is also the mother of four adult sons and one granddaughter. She spends her free time happily working in her flower and veggie gardens and walking her dogs.

Aqueous Consultants is a Professional Engineering firm that specializes in providing our clients with irrigation, water resources, rainwater harvesting, alternative water design, and water feature design solutions. Founded by Michael Igo, PE in 2014 in Andover, and joined full-time by his spouse and partner Andrea Igo, PE in 2016, the firm’s passion and desire to provide efficient water systems for architects, engineers, and end-users has made Aqueous a trusted partner for our clients.

By engineering systems that promote water conservation and efficiency, we lessen the dependence on drinking water, preserve ecological balance, and watch the economic bottom line. We are fortunate to have worked on some of the most prominent institutional, commercial, and residential construction projects around the United States working for the most sought-after architects, developers, and engineers. Reaching as many as 8 employees in 2025, Aqueous always seeks continued growth and forecasts a bright future with a talented staff and expanding satisfied customer base for our engineering and consulting services.

Andrea and Mike have lived in Andover (Ballardvale) for 19 years and have two sons at Andover High School.

Lazarus House Food Pantry (aka St. Martha’s Food Pantry) supplies healthy groceries to over 1900 families each week. The Pantry offers a dignified shopping experience, allowing choices and greater independence and planning.

On Mondays, Volunteers help unload food delivery truck, and may help stock shelves too.

2nd Monday of each month...with 4-5 volunteers from The Rotary Club of Andover

Dr. Lane A. Glenn is president of Northern Essex Community College (NECC), the first Hispanic Serving Institution in New England, which has campuses in both Haverhill and Lawrence, Massachusetts.

With more than three decades of experience in higher education, Dr. Glenn is passionate about helping all students achieve their educational goals and is a strong advocate for closing equity gaps, and for colleges and universities as engines of economic and workforce development, particularly in Gateway Cities.

As president of NECC, Dr. Glenn has led the significant expansion of the college’s Lawrence campus, including construction of the $27 million Ibrahim El Hefni Health and Technology Center, the creation of the Haffner Fournier Education Center, and the development of “The Hub” with university partnerships and the award-winning Revolving Test Kitchen.  He is also the founding board chair of the Lawrence Partnership, a private-public collaboration of business leaders, community leaders, and elected officials devoted to economic development and improving the quality of life for residents of Lawrence, Massachusetts.

A highly collaborative, energetic leader, Dr. Glenn encourages experimentation and organizational innovation.  Recently, NECC became the first college in the country to offer a competency-based associate degree in Early Childhood Education, and its police academy, one of the largest in the state, was the first to be accepted into the National Active Bystander for Law Enforcement (ABLE) Training Program, designed to prepare police officers to successfully intervene to prevent harm and to create a law enforcement culture that supports peer intervention, leading to safer communities.

Dr. Glenn has been described as an “optimistic thought leader” who actively promotes higher education in a number of publications, on social media, and through his blog, “Running the Campus.”  He has been nationally recognized for his advocacy with the Eduardo J. Padron Award for Presidential Leadership from Campus Compact; the Pacesetter of the Year Award from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations; and the SUCCESS Higher Education Leadership Award from the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration.

Dr. Glenn holds a PhD from Michigan State University, a master’s degree from Oklahoma State University and a bachelor’s from Northeastern State University—and he is proud to say that he started his education at Rose State College, a community college in Midwest City, Oklahoma.

Project Insulin is a nonprofit drug company fixing a broken system. We’re not researching a novel drug; we’re removing the barriers that make an old one inaccessible by developing & manufacturing insulin ourselves and selling it at cost.

Lazarus House Food Pantry (aka St. Martha’s Food Pantry) supplies healthy groceries to over 1900 families each week. The Pantry offers a dignified shopping experience, allowing choices and greater independence and planning.

On Mondays, Volunteers help unload food delivery truck, and may help stock shelves too.

2nd Monday of each month...with 4-5 volunteers from The Rotary Club of Andover

Paul Materazzo, Andover's Director of Planning and Land Use, a seasoned and experienced urban planner will update attendees on upcoming town wide projects. 

Established in 2009, the Andover Robotics Club is a student-run organization in Andover, Massachusetts, that specializes in the construction of robots for FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC). The club has about 75 active members and is led by a student board of officers that keeps it running behind-the-scenes. The club has three co-ed teams, 5273 ARC Thunder, 24256 ARC Sandstorm and 4410 ARC Lightning, as well as one all-girls team, 10331 ARC Hailstorm. During the FTC season, members build, code, and CAD a robot and complete community outreach with the goal of making STEM more accessible in the community. 

Learn about their championship work and witness a live demonstration!