Eastern Bank Chairman and CEO Bob Rivers will be the featured speaker and honorary chair at Greater Lawrence Family Health Center’s 14^th annual Making a Difference Gala on Thursday, April 11 at 6 p.m. at Andover Country Club. Rivers is known for his commitment to social justice, regularly fighting for the causes of women, communities of color and LGBTQ people — marginalized demographics that make up a significant part of GLFHC’s patient population.

Essex County Community Foundation President & CEO Beth Francis will accept the Making a Difference Award on behalf of ECCF.

“Bob Rivers, a founding board member of the Lawrence Partnership, has shown an unmatched and unwavering passion for gateway cities like Lawrence and a commitment to its residents and businesses.  We are thrilled and honored to have him join us this year as our honorary chair and featured speaker as we celebrate the Essex County Community Foundation and all they have done in making a difference for those in need for so many years,” said John M. Silva, president and CEO of Greater Lawrence Family Health Center.

During the event, the health center will also honor Essex County Community Foundation for their tireless work collecting and distributing money in the wake of the Merrimack Valley gas disaster on Sept. 13, 2018. Over 100 employees and many more patients of GLFHC were affected by the fires and explosions, and ECCF’s Greater Lawrence Disaster Relief Fund helped many of these Merrimack Valley residents take a step back toward their normal lives.

Senior Vice President of External Relations Rich Napolitano said, “The Essex County Community Foundation is a worthy and fitting recipient of this year’s Making a Difference Award, for not only the difference it has made for so many throughout Essex County for the last twenty years, but also in light of their immediate response to serve as the catalyst for philanthropic support for those most affected by the recent gas explosions crisis.”

The Making a Difference Gala is GLFHC’s signature fundraising event. At last year’s event, featured speaker and honorary chair Governor Charlie Baker moved a crowd of over 400 people with a speech on the opioid crisis in the Commonwealth — and how community health centers like GLFHC are a crucial part of fighting back. Tickets for this year’s Gala will be available at glfhc.org/gala19 at a later date.