Summer Fest Team – 2023 Citizen of the Year
2023 Citizen of the year: Kristen Jervey, Ann Marie Costello, Lauren Lowing and Reiko Beach. Norwell Summer Fest is a free community festival in Norwell Town Center for all ages to enjoy a day of live entertainment, rides, local food options, and artisans. Truly a community event spearheaded by volunteers, and donations from individuals, families and many south shore businesses
- First NSF was held in June 2015 started by Kristen and Kera Kirchner
- Kristen, leader throughout – coming up with the concept, organizing, recruiting, fundraising and cheerleading. All cochairs were part of event for at least three of the four Summer Fests
- 4 Summer Fests: 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022
- Each Summer Fest grew by 20% and last one was 10,000 plus attendees.
- Hundreds of volunteers
- Organizing between town, police, fire, CERT – approvals, permits, plans for safety and traffic
- Thousands of dollars raised – from local families and individuals to large and small businesses in the community
- Non-profits donated to/partnered with including Norwell Women’s Club and Friends of Norwell (Norwell Food Pantry). Thousands raised for Norwell Food Pantry.
- Non-profits promoted at the event
- Fundraising for up to $80,000 to make event free for visitor and to get Business involvement and support
Ann Marie: “Being part of the team who worked so hard to make this event happen has been a wonderful experience! I was introduced to the first event through Kristen, who I had met when she ran the Norwell Harvest Fest. I loved her vision, and I wanted to help! My primary roles on the team were to act as the treasurer and to help with fundraising over the years. Summer Fest was funded in many ways. Primarily through the generous donations of local companies via different levels of sponsorships, but families and individuals were also very generous by becoming Friends of Summer Fest or by buying Summer Fest buttons.
I am very honored to receive this award, along with Reiko, Kristen and Lauren, but there was a small, but mighty team who worked so hard alongside us to make this event happen, and we would never have been able to make it happen without the support of local businesses and the citizens of Norwell. It was a true team effort!”
Reiko: “I am honored to have the opportunity to work with some of the best and most giving people in our community. I first met Kristen when I was president of the Norwell Women’s Club in 2014 and she was looking for support for this idea to bring a grand festival to Norwell and a nonprofit to coordinate with. I immediately got the Women’s Club involved with this gigantic but rewarding event. Since then I have been onboard for every Summer Fest working with their partner the Friends of Norwell to give them the exposure they deserve, and to make a community event to make Norwell proud. Its an honor to be recognized with this hard working and dedicated group, Kristen, Lauren and Ann Marie and thank all the supporting chairs, community members, businesses and non-profits that have gone into making Summer Fest a success.”
Lauren: “Thank you so much for honoring our Summer Fest Co-Chair Team. It was an honor to be able to serve the community with Kristen, Ann Marie and Reiko. Kristen and I have been friends since my family moved here in 2009 and I knew the minute I met her what an incredible person she was. Getting to know Ann Marie and Reiko through working on Summer Fest was an added bonus. Our strengths complemented each other and as a result, the four of us did the work of what normally would be done by dozens more. I would also like to thank the committee chairs. Without them we would never have been able to pull off all the aspects needed for Summer Fest. Thank you to the businesses that supported us and made our lives easier during the 16-month process each time. It is my sincere hope that Summer Fest is not a memory but something to look forward to in the years to come.