The Republican Town Committee will be meeting tonight to present Community Service Awards to three longtime residents who have devoted countless hours to trying to better the town and serve their fellow citizens.

James H. Gaffney, III, Robert Hunter and Beverly Bennett will be honored in the ceremony, which is scheduled to take place at 6:30 p.m. at the Bunting Club in Lowell.

"This is a non-political event," stressed Don Ordway, chairman of the Tewksbury Republican Committee. "Politicians will be there but this is about community service and honoring some great people. If people are going to talk politics it will have to be afterward."

Gaffney is a local attorney and a war hero, who did two tours of duty in Vietnam. Ordway said Gaffney, a former state representative, and his family have been active community servants for several decades..

Hunter, 89, is a well-known face to Tewksbury residents. On Memorial Day and Veterans you will see him dressed in his Marine Dress Blues

"Bob's done a lot of things for the town over the years," said Ordway. "He's served on the Historical Commission and he's served on the Board of Voter Registration."

Bennett has also served on the Board of Voter Registration, as well as the Historical Commission. She has also served on the Board of Directors for the Salvation Army, according to Ordway.

Tonight's ceremony will feature refreshments and a cash bar. The guest speaker for the evening will be State Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr. Also expected to attend will be state Rep. Paul Adams, Tewksbury Selectman Doug Sears, and Andover Selectman Alex Vispoli. Adams and Vispoli are running for State Senate this fall, trying to unseat Barry Finegold. Sears is running for the State Rep. against incumbent Jim Miceli.