The 2026 Step Up for Colleen 5K is scheduled for Sunday, May 3, 2026. Consider joining the AFT Massachusetts Team and walking the 5k to "celebrate Colleen’s life and her commitment to help and inspire others."
Join the AFT Massachusetts team: https://aftmassachusetts.tiny.us/2026ColleenWalk
Place: Central Park on Bartlet Street in Andover, MA US 01810
Time: Opening ceremonies begin promptly at 8:30 a.m. at the gazebo in the park with a 9 a.m. race start at Central Park on Bartlet St. in Andover, MA. The race will use a pulse start to allow racers to disperse along the route with less congestion. Those with strollers or dogs will be placed near the back.
Description: The friends and family of Colleen Ritzer created this 5K Walk/Run to celebrate Colleen’s life and her commitment to helping and inspiring others. Through the Step Up for Colleen Walk/Run, organizers and participants celebrate Colleen and the values by which she lived. The net proceeds benefit the Colleen E. Ritzer Memorial Fund, Inc. which benefits charitable activities honoring Colleen’s legacy including the Colleen E. Ritzer Memorial Scholarship. The Scholarship was established by Colleen’s family to benefit graduating high school seniors, who are Andover and Danvers residents, who demonstrate a passion for teaching, academic excellence and love of family and who will pursue a degree in education.
Learn more about Colleen, this event and the Colleen E. Ritzer Memorial Scholarship:Home - Colleen E. Ritzer Memorial Fund, Inc.