GARDNERS, PA (April 2, 2013) - The third class of honorees will be inducted into the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame on Friday, June 7, at the third annual Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet at the Allenberry Resort in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania.
Charter Class Hall of Fame honorees, elected in 2011, were Myron Avery, Gene Espy, Ed Garvey, Benton MacKaye, Arthur Perkins and Earl Shaffer. Members of the 2012 class were Emma "Grandma" Gatewood, David A Richie, J. Frank Schairer, Dr. Jean Stephenson and "Major" William Adams Welch. Up to five additional trail pioneers will be inducted as the 2013 class.
"Inductees into our hall of fame include those who believed in the importance of the trail from its inception and then set out to prove that hiking from Maine to Georgia was not only possible, but enjoyable," said Larry Luxenberg, president of the Appalachian Trail Museum Society. "Hiking the trail's 2,184 miles is itself a badge of honor. Being inducted into the hall of fame is the ultimate recognition for an Appalachian Trail pioneer, maintainer or hiker."
Jim Foster, chair of the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame selection committee, said a 6 p.m. reception will precede the dinner, which begins at 7 p.m. The cost of the reception and dinner is $30 for museum members and $40 for others.
Complete information on the Hall of Fame Banquet is available at http://atmbanquet2013.eventbrite.com/ Tickets may be purchased either at that website, or directly from the Appalachian Trail Museum 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.
Allenberry has reserved a block of rooms for banquet attendees. For more information on Allenberry and to reserve a room, call 1-800-430-5468 or (717) 258-3211, or go to http://www.allenberry.com/.
Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame inductees are honored in the Appalachian Trail Museum, which has had approximately 20,000 visitors from throughout the United States and 18 other countries since it opened in Pine Grove Furnace State Park in June 2010. Located at the midway point of the 2,184-mile-long Appalachian Trail, the museum is across from the Pine Grove General Store on Pennsylvania Route 233.
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 2,184 mile long hiking trail that passes through 14 states from Maine to Georgia. Located in the Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Gardners, Pennsylvania, the museum is conveniently near Carlisle, Gettysburg and Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Additional information is available at www.atmuseum.org.
