The Lehighton Education and Athletic Foundation is now accepting nominations for Lehighton School District graduates to be considered for the honor of being inducted into the class of 2021 “Graduates of Distinction.” The program is designed to recognize notable alumni of the Lehighton Area School District who have achieved success in their occupational field or who have served their community or humanity in a positive way.

Applications may be obtained from the LEAF website, www.LEAF-foundation.org, or by contacting Hugh Dugan at 610-554-4864 or Tim Tkach at ttkach@lehighton.org. Applications may also be picked up at the Larry Markley Insurance Agency at Fifth and Coal streets in Lehighton. Applications may be submitted by anyone who thinks a candidate is worthy of consideration for admission.

Completed applications can be mailed to LEAF, c/o Awards Selection Committee, P.O. Box 370, Lehighton, PA 18235. They may also be dropped off at the Larry Markley Insurance Agency. The deadline for submitting applications is March 30. A submitted application will remain as an active nomination for a period of two years after the year it is originally submitted.

A seven-person selection committee consisting of educators, businessmen and professionals will select the inductees. There will be three to five nominees selected each year. No more than two members will be selected posthumously per year. Nominees selected for membership will be notified by April 30. For more information on the selection process and to view information on previously selected members, please visit the LEAF website.

Because of COVID-19, the selected inductees will be honored during a reception on a future date to be determined. They will receive plaques which highlight their accomplishments. Their information, along with all the information of the previous inductees, will be displayed on a Graduates of Distinction Wall of Honor, which is located off the gymnasium in the Lehighton Area Elementary Center.