Fifty years after graduating from Lehighton High School, the class of 1965 was looking for a way to give back and thank the district.

The result was the donation of a park bench, which will be used in a future garden on the high school campus. Nearly half of surviving class members donated toward the purchase of the bench."We donated this in gratitude, to give thanks for our education," said Ronald Long, president of the Lehighton Class of 1965 and a member of the committee that worked toward the donation.Additional committee members included Carolyn (Berger) Long, Drew Yenser, and Anne (Sensinger) Yenser."I think we can all say that we are glad to have graduated from Lehighton High School, and proud to be from the Class of '65," said Yenser."The saying on the bench, 'Today we follow, tomorrow we lead,' is our class," said Carolyn Long.The group hopes that the bench will inspire future graduates to consider how they might lead in the community, whether that community is nearby or across the country. The bench was installed just days before the Class of 2015 gathered for graduation but has already been noticed by many students."I appreciate that this class that was here 50 years ago is still thinking of us," said current high school principal Craig Reichl.Reichl noted that he has pointed out the honor's class gesture to current students, and encouraged the graduating class to stay in touch and return to campus for their own 50th reunion to inspire future students.Members of the Lehighton class of 1965 were guests of honor at Lehighton's graduation ceremony on Friday. Approximately 70 classmates were expected to attend graduation, nearly half of the class's 170 surviving members. They also held their 50th class reunion on Saturday.