AB Community Skate

2025 Community Skate Collage

The 2025 Annual AB Community Skate FUNdraiser on March 2nd at Nashoba Valley Olympia brought together 150+ attendees, raising over $2,000 for local food pantries, AB STEAM education, wellness programs, and eco climate action. The event also showcased AB STEAM (aka AB PIP STEM turning 25), launched as a non-profit supporting Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math education.

Beneficiaries included AB STEAM, Acton Food Pantry, Loaves & Fishes, Live for Liv Foundation, Michele Mosher Recovery Fund, local Boston Marathon runner for Newton-Wellesley Hospital, and Acton Climate Coalition and local sustainability events. Many skaters wore YELLOW in tribute to Acton native Caroll Spinney (aka Big Bird, Sesame Street), honoring his legacy of kindness and joy.

A heartfelt  thank you to AB skating businesses for their generous annual support including Nashoba Valley Olympia (NVO) Boxborough (hosting + rink donation), Colonial Figure Skating Club (CFSC) (skate volunteers), and JWB Sports at Nashoba Valley Olympia (event skate rentals). Special thanks to these local food and hospitality businesses:  Eve & Murray’s Farm to Table (festive charcuterie cheese board), Legend Café (pastries & cookies), Acton Coffee House (fresh roast coffee), The Bee’s Knees British Imports (English biscuits & confections), Idylwilde Farm (crate of MacIntosh apples), Oscar’s Burrito (quesadilla platter) in Boxborough, and Edible Arrangements (Westford, MA) (fresh edible fruit & chocolate covered platters). 

We appreciate the AB STEAM volunteers and partners who helped with communications, publicity, and logistics: Janice M. Ward (acanthi.com), UPS Store Acton and local media ActonTV, The Action Unlimited and The Acton Exchange. 

Organizers are grateful for the community’s generosity and look forward to the next Community FUNdraiser + AB STEAM event in March 2026! 

See You Next Year!

The AB Community Skate FUNdraiser continues to be a beloved tradition, and organizers look forward to another great event in March 2026!  

See the Facebook page for the AB Community Skate Fundraiser for more photos. 

AB STEAM sweatshirts (donated by Happy Lilliput), Acton Nature Guides & Stars ⭐️ for Starters books (donated by Mildred Nash) will be available for purchase to benefit AB STEAM.

2025 Supporters

Thanks to Annual AB Community Skate FUNdraiser supporters: Nashoba Valley Olympia, JWB Sports (skate rentals), Acton Coffee, Legend Café in West Acton, Edible Arrangements Westford, Oscar’s Burrito, Eve & Murray’s Farm to Table, Bee’s Knees British Imports, Idylwilde Farms, acanthi.com, Market Dynamics, One27 Photo and UPS Store Acton.

2025 Donations

• The Acton Lions Club donated $250 to the Acton Food Pantry.

• Falsetto the Label 🏷️  $100 (matching wellness donation) to Live for Liv for domestic violence education & prevention 

Watch the Acton TV video of the 25th annual skate.

Many skaters wear yellow to honor Caroll Spinney, Sesame Street’s Big Bird, one of Acton’s most famous citizens.

Hospitality Table

Christina from Edible Arrangements for the Hospitality Table

Thanks to all who attended the 24th Annual Community Skate FUNdraiser. We had a great turnout on March 5th. Hosted by AB PIP STEM, the Colonial Figure Skating Club and Nashoba Valley Olympia, the event raised $1,500 for local charities and non-profits. 

Watch the video on Acton TV. 

ALL proceeds went to these causes:

• Local Food Pantries: Acton Food Pantry, Open Table (matched) and Loaves & Fishes

• Acton Nature Guide donations to local schools, libraries and the community 

• Dawn’s Pond at The Acton Arboretum memorial donation

• Eco Climate Action Initiatives: EnergizeActon.org plus support for green events and resources

• ComeHomeToActon.org for building and furnishing a house for a local disabled veteran

• Community Wellness: AB Community Fitness Center ‘punch cards’ (donation matched by AB Community Education) for local families.

Lisa Cote President of Nashoba Valley Olympia (NVO) ,
KJ Herther and Gary Kappel. Photos from the 25th Annual Community FUNdraiser at NVO in Boxborough, MA. 

You can order prints of any photo directly from the gallery. Small digital files are available for free for personal use only. If you would like to inquire about commercial photo usage, please email info@one27photo.com

2023 AB Community Skate Thank You

Thanks to all who attended the 24th Annual Community Skate FUNdraiser on March 5th hosted by AB PIP STEM, the new Colonial Figure Skating Club and Nashoba Valley Olympia. 

Photo by David McCormick, AB PIP STEM Event Photographer

Thanks to Co-Sponsors and Donors

• Nashoba Valley Olympia (NVO) for co-sponsoring the event and donating rink time. Special thanks to Lisa Cote, President Nashoba Valley Olympia, NVO contacts (Michele Mosher and Barbara) and ‘Tripp’ NVO bear mascot for bringing such fun and joy to the event!

• Colonial Figure Skating Club for co-sponsoring the event and bringing skate volunteers who demonstrated skating techniques and helped new skaters. Special thanks to Patty Flanagan, Colonial Figure Skating Club President

• Cookes Skate Rentals. Special thanks to Scott Cooke for Complimentary Skate rentals for some local families

• Acton Coffee House for event hospitality. Wonderful coffee donations! Special thanks to Bill and Hanka Ray + Acton Coffee House staff! 525 Mass. Ave. Acton MA 01720.

• Legend Café for event hospitality. Terrific tray of Legend Café specialty cookies and pastries. Special thanks to Jingbo Li & David Hebert  5 Spruce Street  Acton, MA. 

• Edible Arrangements in Westford, MA for event hospitality including chocolate dipped indulgence platter. Special thanks to Edible staff Christine + Sam who were very helpful with the arrangement. 175 Littleton Rd, Westford, MA 01886  (978)-692-3500

• Oscar’s Burrito Grille for event hospitality.  Thank you for the delicious donation of Oscar’s Burrito chicken & cheese quesadilla platters! Special thanks to Oscar + Dahlia +  Oscar’s amazing chefs & staff

• Eve & Murray’s Farm to Table for event hospitality. Donation of Eve & Murray Specialty gourmet sourdough cracker assortment. Special thanks to Tamara + Dawn.

• The Bee’s Knees British Imports for event hospitality. Donation of specialty tray of British confections & shortbread. Special thanks to Trish. 566 Mass Ave Acton, MA 01720.

• Janice M. Ward at acanthi.com for posters, communications, website content + graphics.

• The UPS Store Acton for the Annual Community Skate FUNdraiser copy donations! Special thanks to Steve Edmonds + Chris & the UPS team. 100 Powdermill Rd. Acton, MA 01720

• Market Dynamics for planning, publicity and social media.

Donations 

This event raised $1,500 for worthy local causes. ALL proceeds from the 2023 Family Skate went to the following:

• Local Food Pantries: Acton Food Pantry, Open Table (matched) and Loaves & Fishes

• AB PIP STEM Nature Guide donations to local schools, libraries and the community

• Dawn’s Pond at The Acton Arboretum to honor AB PIP STEM lead volunteer Dawn Wang (recipient of an AB PIP STEM leadership Service Award along with Sunanda Sahay)

• Eco Climate Action initiatives including support for green events and resources

• ComeHometoActon.org for building and furnishing a house for a local disabled veteran

• Community Wellness: AB Community Fitness Center ‘punch cards’ 

2023 Skate at Nashoba Valley Olympiad

Skate attendees: Ann Sussman, Andrew Kapel, Tripp the Mascot and Karen Herther, AB PIP STEM Coach + Co-Chair Emerita + Skate Founder

Herther/Kapel Family at the Skate FUNdraiser

In Memory of Dawn, a Longtime AB PIP STEM Volunteer

AB PIP STEM Co-chairs: Karen Pierce, Dawn Peterson + Dawn's Son, Sebastian

Skaters with Mascot

2021-2022 Skate FUNdraiser

The 2021 AB PIP Family Skate was a virtual event. Over $1,000 was raised for these causes:

• Covid-19 Mask Donations - Emerson, Acton Medical, Neighbor Brigade

• AB Community BE KIND Sign campaign – for AB Schools/Community

• AB PIP STEM – funding for local Maker Space 

• ABUW Covid-19 Fund

• Open Table Food Pantry

• Loaves & Fishes

• Home Energy Monitor Kits for Acton + Boxborough (4 Kill A Watt Electricity Load Meters)

• Acton-Boxborough Community Fitness Center