In what has become an annual tradition, North End Against Drugs punctuated the Nazzaro Center’s year ending concert with the selection of its scholarship recipients, 11 North End students in three categories who received a total of $7,000 towards their future tuition costs (in addition, in an ongoing effort to somehow incorporate the Eliot public school into the program, an initial award of $200 in Staples gift certificates was donated to that school to help defray the costs of supplies).
But there was plenty of preliminary activities before the award selection process. As one entered the Nazzaro Center, a handful of teenage girls, organized by Youth Worker Mira Giangregorio, were involved with a bake sale, a fundraiser for their September trip to New York. At the entrance to the concert hall, three junior members of the Youth Program were handing out color programs complete with pictures and a playlist. And after a few words from District A-1 Police Captain Tom Lee, the overflow crowd was treated to a selection of 9 musical numbers by the likes of artists such as the Beatles, Bo Diddley, Ray Charles, and Iggy Pop. The Nazzaro Center Band was under the direction of music instructor Jeremy Sarzana and his junior assistant Chris Romano.
Then, with NEAD board members Olivia Scimeca, Officer Teddy Boyle, Debby DeCristoforo, Carl Ameno¸ George Hadaya, Laurie D’Elia, Karen D’Amico, Alfredo Vilar and President John Romano looking on, the 11 winners were randomly selected.
Many other individuals and organizations besides the Nazzaro Center and NEAD contributed to the $7,000 total, including the Police Activity League, the Bill Lane Family and NorthEndWaterfront.com.
Despite cutbacks everywhere and a stagnant economy, North End Against Drugs has been able to keep their level of gifts constant over the years thanks to the efforts of the above mentioned donors as well as the support of the entire neighborhood in all their fundraising endeavors. This unique compact between NEAD and the community has allowed this scholarship program to exist for the past 7 years and, hopefully, for many more years into the future.
Scholarship Award Winners
Grammar School High School College
($500 each) ($750 each) ($1,000 each)
(all at St. John’s unless
otherwise noted) Bobby DeCristoforo Memorial Awards
Jordyn Amoroso Nicholas Mustacchio Tia Bevilacqua
Talia Cerqueira (Malden Catholic-freshman) (Simmons-Junior)
Mariele DiPrizio Mikayla Romano Michele DiPrizio
Jacob Gunderson (Bishop Fenwick-Sophomore) (Coastal Carolina U-
Antonio Romano freshman)
Sydney Russo
Nolan Ward-Learning Project
(these awards were sponsored by
the Lane Family, the Police
Athletics League and
NorthEndWaterfront.com)




