Rotary Club of Andover announces its 13th annual "Citizens Who Care" and second annual "Educator of the Year" awards, "honoring those who make extraordinary contributions to the Andover community, above and beyond their normal job descriptions."
The awards banquet will be held tonight, Thursday, June 10, at 6, at the Wyndham Hotel, just off Interstate 93 and River Road in Andover. Keynote speaker will be the University of Massachusetts Lowell Chancellor and former U.S. Congressman Marty Meehan. Tickets are $45 per person. Space is limited, but some tickets may still be available at the door.
The following short biographies for each person to be honored tonight were submitted by the Rotary Club:
Tom Barenboim
Tom has been active on countless boards including the American Society, Lawrence Boys and Girls Club, Greater Lawrence Boating Program, Holy Family Hospital, United Fund, Lanam Club, Men of Merrimack College, Wang Theatre, American Red Cross, Jewish Community Center, Exchange Club, North Shore Music Theatre Merrimack Repertory Theatre and the Mass State Auto Dealers Association. On most of the boards he has taken a leadership position. During the day he owns and operates Clark Chrysler Jeep Dodge.
Tom and Jo-Ann Deso
Seniors are just one target of this husband-and-wife team. Tom has served on school building committees from the Wood Hill School in 1990 to the current Bancroft School replacement. Jo-Ann worked on the Senior Task Force for over a decade to bring a Senior Center to reality. From there she joined the Andover Council on Aging, which she currently co-chairs. She cajoled Tom and friends to start Friends of the Andover Senior Center, a group that raises funds for the center. The two are founding members of TAVAH—The Andover Villages at Home along with fellow recipient Judy Trerotola.
Jack Brady and Bob Rauseo
Jack and Bob have been the driving force behind the Shawsheen River Watershed Association since its founding over a decade ago. Jack was the group's President while Jack has been Vice-President for ten years. Activities that they spearhead include kayaking and canoeing, clean-up work parties in the water and on the shore, supervising of Boy Scout river-related projects and the state Beaver Mitigation Program. Bob also serves meals at Bread and Roses and serves on the board for Camp 40 Acres.
Julie and Matt Gadzialla
This mother-and-son team has taken on feeding Lawrence's hungry. While in grade school, Matt accompanied Julie to the Bread and Roses soup kitchen. On weekends Julie volunteered in South Church's Sunday School. Mom and son have volunteered for years at Lazarus House's emergency shelter. Matt continues to help prepare meals and play with the kids after dinner. Matt organized his friends to help deliver meals out of the Plains Community Center. The duo collected 26 boxes of books for the people ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. Julie started the Corinne Johnson Scholarship Foundation to help high school kids cope with the death of a parent.
Belva Hopkins
Belva's reach extends from Andover, Mass. to Andover, England to Central America. She has applied her formidable landscaping skills to beautification projects in town with the Spade & Trowel Club. She and her husband Frank set up Hope for Tomorrow to build a school in Copan, Honduras and maintain its operation. They visit the school regularly. She currently chairs the Andover Sister Town Association to exchange cultural activities with our sister town in England.
Don and Roxann Nickerson
The Nickersons are church people in a big way. For over a decade Don has been treasurer and collector for West Parish Church. He sets up for just about every men's group meeting, ham-and-bean supper and after-church social. He is even an occasional substitute preacher. Don is a founding member of the MV Samaritans, a treasurer of the Greater Lawrence Council of Churches, teaches computers at the Andover Senior Center and traveled on a Heifer Project mission in Central America. Roxann sings in the church choir, plays oboe, arranges concerts at the church and will soon make a mission trip to a South Dakota reservation.
Ashleigh Ryans
Ashleigh is this year's youth recipient and was chosen by the faculty of Andover High School. Ashleigh's passions revolve around music. She is a member of the Andover High School Chorus and Chamber Choir. She has been part of the Merrimack Junior Theatre for thee years. Ashleigh resuscitated the Peer Mediation Group at the high school. In her junior year she organized student ambassadors for various function, and managed the school dance team. During summer vacations she volunteers with the Bible School at Free Christian Church.
Don Schroeder
Don's volunteerism dates back four decades. Starting with running bingo games at St. Augustine's Church, Lawrence and progressing through Kiwanis, March of Dimes and Neighbors in Need he moved all the way up to President of the Andover Chamber of Commerce and the Andover Finance Committee. He currently serves on the boards of the YMCA, Andover Community Trust, Andover Historical Society, Andover Business Center Association and the Andover Senior Center.
Judy Trerotola
Judy left the corporate world of retirement communities and nursing homes to apply her skill set to helping seniors. She joined the Andover Council on Aging, and became a "friendly visitor" though the Senior Center. In 2001 she produced several local access videos of interest to seniors including There's Something About Andover, Our Immigrant Heritage and a third on World War II veterans. Inspired by a program in Boston, Judy started the non-profit The Andovers Village at Home (TAVAH) to keep seniors happy and secure in their own homes.
Andrea Zaimes
Andrea Zaimes has made education a lifetime mission since her daughter started school. She volunteered at Shawsheen School, becoming PTO President, organized a fundraiser to buy playground equipment, and held auctions, raffles and relay events to raise $40,000 for the high school. This year that AYS Raise the Roof Telethon that she helped run raised $1 million for a new Youth Cener. She has also chaired the Know Your Town Fair committee and the YES PAC to pass a debt exclusion act to fund two new schools.
Educator of the Year Ginny Rossini
This year's recipient has been teaching since 1974 with a 17-year hiatus to raise her kids. Her innovative teaching methods made learning fun for a generation kids including a middle school rendition of Let's Make a Deal. She and her husband chair the Adventure Club to organize field trips. In 2007 she started Kids on the Block, an after-school club that uses hand puppets to teach grade school kids about physically and emotionally challenged children.
