Andover 5K in Memory of Colleen Ritzer

A road race will be held in May in memory of Colleen Ritzer, the Andover resident and Danvers High School teacher who authorities said was murdered by a student last year.

The first annual Step Up for Colleen 5K Walk/Run will be held May 4.

Below is a news release about the event:

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The 1st Annual Step Up for Colleen 5K Walk/Run, in loving memory of Colleen Ritzer, will be held on Sunday, May 4, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. in downtown Andover. All proceeds support the Step Up for Colleen Fund at Essex County Community Foundation. For more information or to register, please visit colleenritzer5k.com.

Friends and family of Colleen Ritzer planned this event to celebrate Colleen’s life and her commitment to helping and inspiring others. The organizers hope to promote a sense of community and overall goodwill as the community comes together to remember Colleen and the values by which she lived. "Colleen was such a giving person, and cared so much about other people," says event organizer Nina Caron. "We need more of that in the world."

The walk/run will begin at the corner of Bartlet Street and Chestnut Street, continue through the bird sanctuary at Phillips Academy, and conclude at the Center at Punchard (formerly known as the Andover Senior Center) at 30 Whittier Court.

Everyone who plans to participate should register in advance ($25 per person). Online registration ends at noon on Friday, May 2. The first 2,000 people who register are guaranteed to receive a shirt designed specifically for this event. Participants are encouraged to wear pink, which was Colleen’s favorite color.