The Andover Cares Festival returns Saturday, September 17, 2016.
 
For more information, visit the new Andover Cares website, www.andovercares.org!
 
 
The Rotary Club of Andover’s Andover Cares Festival returns for a second year Saturday, September 17, 2016, 3:00pm to 9:00pm, at the Doherty Fields and Cormier Youth Center, Whittier Court, Andover.
 
The Festival will also feature talks and discussion forums by experts in the opiate addiction field. Plus there will be lots of entertainment for the kids and plenty of food and beverages to make the festival a day for the entire family. One way Andover Cares raises funds is through donations of $20 toward an Andover Cares button. Kids under the age of 18 can contribute $10 for a button. By purchasing a button and wearing it throughout the year, supporters will spread the word about Andover Cares. Buttons can be purchased in advance here.
 
 
  
The Andover Cares Music Festival raises awareness about the opioid addiction crisis facing our communities, while raising funds to support the Andover Cares Fund. The Andover Cares Fund supports opioid addiction education efforts and services.
 
Andover Cares Music Festival sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact Andover Rotarian Amy Salant at amysalant@fitnesstogether.com for more information on becoming a community leader in the fight against substance abuse addiction.
 
Andover Rotary launched the Andover Cares movement in 2015 as a response to the record-breaking number of heroin-related deaths and incidents that hit the Andover community in 2014 and 2015. Andover Cares was inspired by several members of the Rotary Club of Andover who have been touched by the heroin epidemic. Andover Cares leaders understand that the issue is complex and that there is no single answer that will solve the problem. The Rotary Club of Andover is committed to those who work on the front lines – our educators, law enforcement, and health professionals – which is why the club created the Andover Cares Fund. The Fund awards money to organizations that can make a difference in the fight against substance abuse and addiction.
 
Andover Cares grant applications are accepted on a rolling basis for any amount $500 to $10,000. Applications can be downloaded on the Rotary Club of Andover website, www.RotaryAndover.org, or the soon to be released www.AndoverCares.org. In the first year, Andover Rotary and Andover Cares raised $60,000. The goal this year is to raise $75,000 to support opiate and addiction education and resources. Donations can be made on the EventBrite website, or by sending a check payable to Andover Cares Fund to The Rotary Club of Andover, PO Box 1152, Andover, MA 01810.
 
For further information, email AndoverCaresInfo@gmail.com. To learn more about how the Town of Andover is responding to the opiate crisis go to www.andoverps.net/police/whats_new.html.