Hikers and hiking enthusiasts nationwide have until Thursday, March 31, to submit nominations for the first inductees into the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame.
"We have been very pleased with nominations so far, but we want to make sure we do not miss someone because a nomination is not received on time," said Jim Foster, chairman of the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Committee. "Those eligible for consideration include anyone who has made a major contribution to the Appalachian Trail, or otherwise has advanced the cause of the Appalachian Trail. A list of persons nominated as of February 28, 2011, can be viewed at the museum’s website at http://www.atmuseum.org We encourage folks to continue sending in nominations, regardless of whether the person you’d like to nominate has already been named or not.”
The Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame is being established by the Appalachian Trail Museum Society 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.
Nominations, according to official Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame criteria, include, without limitation, 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.
Nominations may be submitted at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/63PYPCT
The first class of inductees will be announced at the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet on Friday, June 17, at the Allenberry Resort in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania. 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, Pennsylvania, the museum is conveniently near Carlisle, Gettysburg and Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Additional information is available at www.atmuseum.org.