Lehighton Rotary Club recentlysponsored an essay contest for high school juniors with the theme "Service Above Self - What It Means to Me." Through the cooperation of Lehighton Area School District administration and faculty, approximately 30 students participated in the contest.

According to Dr. Barbara Belón, President of Lehighton Rotary Club,"One of the main focuses of Rotary isliteracy." On behalf of Lehighton Rotary Club, she recognizedCierra House fortakingfirst place honors, Nick Mantz second, and Carter McCandless third. House now moves on to the district competition.Belón thanked especiallyLASD Superintendent James Kraky, LAHS Principal Timothy Tkach, Assistant Principal Craig Reichl, andLanguage Arts teachers Jennifer Kovatch and Jennifer Steigerwalt for their endorsement of the essay contestbyencouraging students to activelyparticipate in it.Rotary International is the world's first service club organization, with more than 1.2 million members in 33,000 clubs worldwide. Rotarians are volunteers who work locally, regionally, and internationally to combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, provide education and job training, promote literacy, encourage peace, and eradicate polio under the motto "Service Above Self." Locally, Lehighton Rotary Club organized in 1921. Among its community projects, the club helps to promote literacy by annually distributingdictionaries to every third grade student in Lehighton and Palmerton Area School Districts in both public and parochial schools - as well as by annually sponsoring the essay contest for high school juniors.