There were two full pages in the dinner program detailing the accomplishments and contributions of Mary Hnat of Coaldale to the Panther Valley area, her church, schools, civic organizations and her family.

Despite such a glowing resume, she humbly responded with just four sentences when she received the 69th annual Shamrock Award from the Irish-American Association of the Panther Valley.The award was presented Thursday during a banquet held in Summit Hill's Hilltop Community Center.Hnat, upon receiving the award, said, "It's a privilege and an honor to receive this Shamrock Award."She introduced family members who were present, then said, "I will always cherish this memory."Sitting with her was her husband, Joseph "Pirate" Hnat. They have four sons: Joseph and his wife, Tracey, of Melbourne, Florida; Corey and his wife, Janet, of Wayne; Kyle and his wife, Dawn, of Clarks Summit; and Ryan and his wife, Amy, of Scranton.Hnat, a retired employee of Jim Thorpe National Bank, also received awards from county and state political leaders, and a plaque by the Panther Valley Women's Club.Brandon Gurka, president of the Irish American Association, presented the award.The guest speaker for the event was Hnat's sister, Alice Frederick.Frederick, of Ringtown, told stories about their family. She punctuated her talk with anecdotes about Hnat."I feel very blessed to have a family that I can call anytime and they are always there," she said.Hnat, a graduate of Marian Catholic High School, is one of six children. Other siblings besides Alice, who is the wife of Scott Frederick, are Carol, wife of Tony Pajakinas of Summit Hill; Tim and his wife, Ann Marie, of Coaldale; Cletus, of Coaldale; and Thomas, who is deceased.Gurka said Hnat has been involved in community events for well over four decades.In 1975, she started a weekly story hour for children ages 4 and 5 in the Coaldale Complex, which evolved into a 4-H program for children from Lansford and Coaldale.She was active in the Boy Scouts. In 2002, she was presented the Broad Mountain District Scouting Award of Merit.She was a coordinator of the CYO program at St. Michael's School, Lansford, for many years and served as a basketball coach.Hnat was treasurer of the 100th anniversary of Coaldale Borough and served on many of the committees.She has helped with fundraising for the Lansford Little League, Marian boys' basketball program and the Miners Memorial Hospital new ICU project.She was a member of the former St. Mary's of the Assumption Catholic Church in Coaldale, where she was involved in various church programs. Presently, she is a member of St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church in Lansford, and serves on the finance committee.She is a past president of the Panther Valley Daughters of Mary, a past president and current member of the Panther Valley Women's Club, and a member of the Friendship Club of the Tamaqua Area.When her niece, Ashley Frederick, became ill with an autoimmune disease, Hnat assisted with fundraising and served as treasurer.Bob Ames of Coaldale was the master of ceremonies for the program.The Rev. James Burdess, pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church, Summit Hill, asked the invocation and pronounced the benediction.Plaques and certificates presented to Hnat included:• One from the Panther Valley Women's Club.• A citation from the Pennsylvania Senate, presented by William O'Gurek on behalf of state Sen. John T. Yudichak.• A citation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, presented by Reps. Jerry Knowles and Doyle Heffley. Knowles graduated with Hnat from Marian High School in 1967. He termed the honoree, "One of the sweetest ladies I have ever met," adding, "she treated everybody so nice."• A proclamation from the Schuylkill County Board of Commissioners.