ABC Celebrates Our 50th Anniversary !

Celebrating 50 Years of Opening Doors to Greater Educational Opportunities

Check out the recap - ABC of Andover 50th Anniversary Gala Celebration.

If you have photos to share, please upload them to
ABC of Andover 50th Anniversary Alumni Weekend Photo Share - GOOGLE (login then ADD TO ALBUM).
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ABC of Andover 50th Anniversary Alumni Weekend Photo Share - DROPBOX (login then UPLOAD photos)
or
send a link to your photos to us at ABC50th@AndoverABC.org.

>> View all the pictures at ABC of Andover 50th Anniversary Alumni Weekend Photos. Many thanks to guests for their candid photos and Julia Finlayson of Emily O'Brien Photography for her professional photographs.

Calendar of Events

October 6-8, 2017 Columbus Day Weekend – Gala and Alumni Reunion Weekend

  • Friday Oct 6 - 6:00 pm on – Alumni Open House at ABC 134 Main Street
  • Saturday Oct 7 - 12pm-2pm - Alumni Round Table discussion over lunch at Phillips Academy
  • Saturday Oct 7  - 6:30 pm-11:30 pm - 50th Anniversary Gala with dining and dancing at Andover Country Club, (open to the public, cocktail/celebratory attire)
  • Sunday Oct 8 - 10am - Alumni and Host Family Brunch
    Holiday Inn Tewksbury
    Address: 4 Highwood Dr, Tewksbury, MA 01876
    Phone: (978) 640-9000

Here's information to help with your planning:

  • Buy your gala tickets by credit card and e-RSVP for the other reunion weekend events (even if you aren't attending the gala).
  • Download a PDF of the postal invitation to print and mail your RSVP card with your check to A Better Chance of Andover PO Box 212 Andover, MA 01810.
  • Lodging Information with discounted rooms at local hotels, host family, and homestay with friends options
    Discounted rooms expire soon! Homestay options still available!
    • Holiday Inn Tewksbury (978-640-9000): Discounted rooms available until Saturday, September 16
    • Fairfield Marriott (978-640-0700): Discounted rooms available until Friday, September 15
  • Local transportation information and physical and/or medical accommodation requirements
  • Event attendance request to let us know which events you and your guests will attend.

November 2017 – 50th Celebration at Andover High School organized by our students in collaboration with the faculty and administration who have long been involved with the ABC program at AHS.

April 12, 2017 – To celebrate the 50th anniversary of A Better Chance of Andover, the community screened "A Quiet Revolution" and engaged in discussion with the directors Tom Dey and Charles Dey. The film documents the founding of national A Better Chance and the group of people who came together over fifty years ago to create change and help a deeply divided nation heal itself. At the height of the Civil Rights movement, struggling for answers to burgeoning problems of racial inequality, Dartmouth College and a group of preparatory schools established a groundbreaking program to identify young students of color from low-income backgrounds for admission to the nation's leading boarding schools, with full scholarships. Presented as a collaboration between Andover Memorial Hall Library and A Better Chance Andover's 50th Anniversary Celebration.

April 2, 2017The Founders Reception honored the founding members of the ABC program as well as past board members, staff, and host families who helped make the A Better Chance of Andover program the strong, dynamic program that it is today.

March 31, 2017 – To celebrate the 50th anniversary of A Better Chance of Andover, Phillips Academy proudly hosted astronaut, educator, and visionary Dr. Mae Jemison – the first woman of color in space. Jemison is at the forefront of integrating physical and social sciences with art and culture to solve problems and foster innovation. The free community event was funded by Phillips Academy and the Elizabeth Rogers Fund. Phillips Academy Andover has played a pivotal role in ABC of Andover's 50 year history.

March 10, 2017 - JuneAndover Historical Society Exhibit on the history of the ABC program in Andover. The exhibit opening was scheduled to coincide with the 1967 March Town Meeting when the vote was taken to bring the program to Andover. Exhibit remains open through June 2017.

March 2017 – The Andover Chroniclers, of Andover's Center at Punchard, produced a video of the ABC of Andover story from 1967 as seen through the eyes of founding members, alumni, former staff and host families, a former Andover High School coach and his fellow student, and current ABC scholars. This documentary, plus the full interviews, are archived for future generations at AndoverTV http://andovertv.org/sites/default/files/videos/abc_project_2017.mp4. We deeply appreciate the Andover Chroniclers for their decision to take on this oral history project. Thank you for capturing this rich history and for shining a light on so many other projects and programs that make the Town of Andover such a remarkable place!

January 29, 2017 – Alumni speakers filled faith community pulpits on Sunday January 29 and MLK weekend for Speaking from the Pulpits. ABC alumni and current students had the opportunity to thank the Town of Andover and faith communities for their role in the founding of the ABC of Andover program and the 50 years of support they have given to our program.

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A Better Chance of Andover thanks our sponsors !

ABC of Andover Celebrates Our 50th Anniversary

Leadership Sponsors $25,000

The Llewellyn Foundation
Abbot and Dorothy H. Stevens Foundation

Founding Sponsors $5,000

Chris & Debbie Andrews, In Memory of Joyce Andrews
Tom Childs & Julie Ireland Childs, In Memory of Rosalyn Wood
Peter & Wendy Cowie, In Honor of Margot and George Bixby
David & Lynn Eikenberry
Chris & Martha Grant
Pritchard Family Foundation

Benefactor Sponsors $1,000

Childs Design and Construction
Columbia Construction Company
Edgewood, A Lifecare Community
Dr. Nicholas Papapetros, Dentistry by Design
Lois A. Lombardo Family Dentistry
Margaret Hamilton, GOAL/QPC
James & Cynthia Marsh
Monx Design House
Pam & Steve Rosenberg
USA College Bound
Nancy & Michael Vogler
Carla and Glenn Woodcock, In Memory of Carl & Lucille Bovay

Community Program Sustainers $500

Blackdog Design/Build/Remodel
Donna & Gwynn Crowther
Dalton & Finegold, LLP/Gold Title, P.C.
The Nossiff Law Firm, LLP
Julie & Ames Prentiss
Tom Carroll, Remax Partners
Rotary Club of Andover
The Savings Bank
Mark Spencer, Water Analytics, Inc.
The Wiggins Family

Supporters

The Andover Shop
Free Christian Church
Kelly, Connor, Matt, and Phillippa
The Mitchell Family
Andover Historical Society
Andover Chroniclers
Konjoian Education Center
Andover Classic Wines

Thank you to the Town of Andover for your vote at Town Meeting 1967.
Your 50 years of unwavering support has enabled us to open doors of
educational opportunity for motivated young students of color.

A Better Chance of Andover | P.O. Box 212 Andover, MA 01810