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Larry Luxenberg, president of the Appalachian Trail Museum Society, greets visitors outside the 200-year-old gristmill that was renovated to house the group’s museum. Image courtesy of the Appalachian Trail Museum Society.

First Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame banquet set for June 17

Catherine Saunders-Watson
Catherine Saunders-Watson
Larry Luxenberg, president of the Appalachian Trail Museum Society, greets visitors outside the 200-year-old gristmill that was renovated to house the group’s museum. Image courtesy of the Appalachian Trail Museum Society.
Larry Luxenberg, president of the Appalachian Trail Museum Society, greets visitors outside the 200-year-old gristmill that was renovated to house the group’s museum. Image courtesy of the Appalachian Trail Museum Society.

GARDNERS, Pa. – Hikers and hiking enthusiasts nationwide will gather at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 17, at Allenberry Resort in Boiling Springs, Pa., for the first Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame banquet. The highlight of the banquet will be the induction of the first class of Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame honorees.

“The banquet will be the culmination of a tremendous amount of work by the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Committee, chaired by Jim Foster of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania,” said Larry Luxenberg, president of the Appalachian Trail Museum Society. “The museum is pleased to host the event and to be the home of the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame.”

Hall of Fame inductees will be people who have made a major contribution to the Appalachian Trail, or otherwise have advanced the cause of the historic trail. Nominees include pioneers who conceived of and developed the trail, those who organized or directed major trail organizations like the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the Appalachian Trail maintaining clubs, longtime trail maintainers, leaders who promoted and protected the Appalachian Trail, hikers who have made significant accomplishments, and other persons who have enriched the culture or community of the Appalachian Trail by their association with it.

The cost of the banquet is $30 for museum members and $40 for non-members. Cumberland County Commissioner and avid hiker Rick Rovegno will emcee, and entertainment will be provided by popular storyteller Pennsylvania Jack.

Tickets may be purchased online at http://athalloffame.eventbrite.com/ or by sending a check to:

Appalachian Trail Museum

1120 Pine Grove Road

Gardners, PA 17324

Questions about the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame banquet may be sent to atmbanquet@gmail.com.

The Allenberry Resort has reserved a block of rooms for banquet attendees who desire accommodation. For more information on Allenberry and to reserve a room, call tollfree 1-800-430-5468 or 717-258-3211, or visit http://www.allenberry.com.

The Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame is being established by the Appalachian Trail Museum Society, which has opened to recognize those who have made a significant contribution toward establishing and maintaining the 2,181-mile footpath that passes through 14 states from Maine to Georgia.

The banquet will be a part of the first Appalachian Trail Museum Festival, an event that will celebrate the museum and its opening on June 5, 2010, as the first museum in the United States dedicated to hiking. During its first year, the museum attracted more than 8,000 visitors from 48 states and 18 countries.

Located in Pine Grove Furnace State Park and at the midway point of the Appalachian Trail, the museum is across from the Pine Grove General Store on Pennsylvania Route 233. The museum is open from noon to 4 p.m. daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day and on weekends from noon to 4 p.m. in the spring and fall.

About the Appalachian Trail Museum Society:

The Appalachian Trail Museum Society, a 501-C-3 not-for-profit organization formed in 2002, organizes programs, exhibits, volunteers and fundraising nationwide for the Appalachian Trail Museum. The museum opened on June 5, 2010, as a tribute to the thousands of men, women and families who have hiked and maintained the 2,181-mile-long hiking trail that passes through 14 states from Maine to Georgia. Located in the Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Gardners, Pa., the museum is conveniently near Carlisle, Gettysburg and Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Additional information is available at www.atmuseum.org.

About Pennsylvania Jack:

For more on storyteller Jack Graham, a/k/a Pennsylvania Jack, visit his website: www.pajack.com/

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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Larry Luxenberg, president of the Appalachian Trail Museum Society, greets visitors outside the 200-year-old gristmill that was renovated to house the group’s museum. Image courtesy of the Appalachian Trail Museum Society.
Larry Luxenberg, president of the Appalachian Trail Museum Society, greets visitors outside the 200-year-old gristmill that was renovated to house the group’s museum. Image courtesy of the Appalachian Trail Museum Society.