2025
In 2019 our late Board Members Beverly Davis and Tom Crowdis, Jr. gave the Friends of the Acton Council on Aging a major gift. It was their vision that this gift serves two purposes:
- To recognize and sustain the excellence that has been established in the programs of education and entertainment offered at Acton’s Senior Center
- To prompt others to consider major gifts to the Friends
Listed below are some of the events we have sponsored with their generous gift.
April, 2026
Honoring Excellence: Meredith Bergmann, Sculptor
Meredith Bergmann is a sculptor who for over 45 years has been making work that deals with complex themes in an accessible, beautiful and stimulating way. She works both on public monuments and on a private scale. She seeks out public commissions that explore issues of history, race, human rights, disabilities, and the power of poetry and music. On Thursday, April 30th, 2026, she gave an engaging and inspiring talk at the Acton Senior Center, sponsored by the Honoring Excellence Fund.
Article in the Acton Exchange by Greg Jarboe: Meredith Bergmann Brings Womens History to Life In Bronze
Honoring Excellence: Janet Singer Applefield Author Talk
On Tuesday, October 28th, The Friends Honoring Excellence Fund sponsored a talk by author Janet Applefield about her memoir, Becoming Janet: Finding Myself in the Holocaust. Since 1947, when her father insisted his 12-year-old daughter dictate to him the story of her survival, being a hidden child during the Holocaust has been central to Janet Singer Applefield’s identity. Now 89 years old, Janet continues to write, research, and speak about her experience as a child survivor, teaching students about human rights and the ever-present specter of genocide. She has three children and five grandchildren and lives in the Boston area.
Honoring Excellence: Liz Walker Author Talk
Former WBZ-TV anchor Liz Walker gave an inspiring talk about her new book, No One Left Alone: A Story of How Community Helps Us Heal, to over 80 people gathered at the Senior Center on Tuesday, May 6th. This Honoring Excellence event was sponsored by the Friends of the Acton Council of Aging through a generous gift from Tom Crowdis, Jr. and Beverly Davis. Walker described how she made her decision to become a pastor at Roxbury Presbyterian Church and how she grew to love the community there. After one of the church families lost their son, Cory Johnson, due to gun violence, she worked together with a mental health clinician to help Cory’s large, intergenerational family and others in the church grieve together. This led to the creation of the program Can We Talk . . . ®, which has now spread to twenty sites nationwide, to help individuals and families who need a supportive place to share their stories and know they are heard. Cory’s mom, Debra, also spoke at the event, along with several others involved with the program. Their stories were inspirational and provided new hope for ways to help families and communities find new joy after experiencing trauma.
Article in The Acton Exchange: https://www.actonexchange.org/anchor-and-pastor-liz-walker-writes-book-speaks-to-friends-of-the-coa/
Article by Friends of the Acton Council on Aging:
Video provided by Acton TV: https://link.edgepilot.com/s/2565cfe6/JZF6SM27l0aoehmAMlLipQ?u=https://youtu.be/57QaqMeQ1zg
2024
- Honoring Excellence Program (brought to you in honor of Tom Crowdis, Jr.):
- Piano Concert by Sivan Etedgee
- Ted Reinstein (of Chronicle) Presentation on: Before Brooklyn
Previous Years:
- Honoring Excellence Program introduced in 2022 (in honor of Tom Crowdis, Jr. donation):
- Ted Reinstein (of Chronicle) Presentation on: Country Store Stories
- First Honoring Excellence Program
- Ted Reinstein (of Chronicle) Presentation on: Country Store Stories