A friend and familiar face around Jim Thorpe Borough and schools for decades has been selected to serve as the grand marshal for the 24th annual Jim Thorpe Halloween Parade to be held on Oct. 27, sponsored by the Jim Thorpe Lions Club.

Phyllis Lienhard, 90, a lifelong resident of the community, will be the guest of honor when the parade steps off at 1 p.m. at the Jim Thorpe Area High School. Lineup for the parade will begin at noon that day. A rain date of Oct. 28, is reserved.

According to Lion Jim Trainer, who chairs the parade committee, Lienhard is being honored for “a lifetime of service to the town she loves.”

He added, “Phyllis is very community-minded and oriented, very active with the school district, and our committee members are proud of her and excited for her to be our grand marshal.”

The widow of Joseph Lienhard, who died at age 56, Phyllis has been a familiar face around her church and community.

“She is the most loving, caring lady in town. She deserves to be recognized for all that she has done for everyone. She puts a smile on so many faces,” said Jamie Kunkel, educational intervention coordinator at the L.B. Morris Elementary School, Jim Thorpe, from where Phyllis retired.

The grand marshal was an instructional aide there for more than 20 years, and worked as a bus monitor in the district before retiring in 2001. Since then, Phyllis has been volunteering at the school.

“To this day, she can be seen weekly at the school, visiting classrooms, helping the secretaries in the office, and handing out pencils and treats to the students,” Kunkel said. “There were many students she assisted who are now adults that stop to visit Phyllis, including some who are now 40 and older. That is the wonderful impact she has had on the children of the community. She ends each week by putting a Hershey Kiss in all of the teachers’ mailboxes.”

Phyllis was recognized for her allegiance to the school more than once.

In 2007, the PTA honored her with the Pennsylvania Congress of Parents and Teachers Honorary Lifetime Member Award, and she also received the Friends of Education Award.

Phyllis is also very involved at Christ United Church of Christ, Fourth and Center streets, Jim Thorpe. Her love for education began as a Sunday school teacher there for more than 30 years. She has remained active and dedicated to the UCC for over 42 years, being a former “Member of the Year” there, having sung in the choir and being a member of the prayer chain as well as a Sunday morning greeter.

For years, she helped with the Vacation Bible School and with after-school programs held at the church over the years. Phyllis also bakes for community members who have deaths in their family, and donates to every event the town has.

She delivers weekly goodies to the Jim Thorpe Police Department and is part of the town’s Crime Watch organization, attending all of its meetings and functions.

And those trick-or-treating in the community on Halloween will find her helping children to safely cross the street and keeping a watchful eye on them near her home at Ninth and Center streets.

She received the Community Watch Award 2012-14 for her time and efforts.

Parade route

The parade will commence in front of the Jim Thorpe Area High School and will make its way down through the streets of the east side of the borough, marching down Center Street to Ninth Street, down Ninth Street to North Street, down North Street to Fifth Street, over Fifth Street to Center Street, and down Center Street, eventually ending at Third and Center streets. The reviewing stand will be located at the Sargent building in the 600 block of North Street.

After the parade is over, buses will shuttle participants back to Memorial Park for refreshments and awards.

The awards will be for best float, best group, and most original with first, second and third place awards in each category.

Anyone interested in participating can pick up a registration form at the Jim Thorpe Borough office located at 101 E. 10th St. Deadline is Oct. 22.

For information, call 570-325-4104 or visit the parade Facebook page.