Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet To Feature Four Inductees, Book Signing, Windtalker Music

The fourth annual Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet will be held on Friday, June 6, at the Allenberry Resort in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania. 

Photo by Allenberry Resort

Allenberry Resort, Boiling Springs, PA

The Banquet is conducted each year by the Appalachian Trail Museum.

The highlight of the Banquet will be the induction of the 2014 class of the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame.  Larry Luxenberg, President and founder of the A.T. Museum, said:  “The 2014 class continues our tradition of honoring pioneers who helped to start the trail, as well as their successors who preserved and protected it.”  The 2014 class is A. Rufus Morgan of Franklin, North Carolina;

Photo by family of A. Rufus Morgan

A. Rufus Morgan

Charles R. Rinaldi of Boca Raton, Florida;

Photo by David M. Sherman

Chuck Rinaldi on Saddleback Mountain

Clarence S. Stein of New York City;

Photo by Dartmouth College Library

Clarence Stein (l) & Benton MacKaye

and Pamela Underhill of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

Photo by Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Pamela Underhill

  Each honoree will receive a one of a kind hand carved hiking stick made by John “Bodacious” Beaudet, a two time A.T. thru-hiker.

“We’ll have two more special events during our reception, which will begin at 6 pm, Luxenberg said.  Musical entertainment will again be provided by Randy “Windtalker” Motz, who plays ‘Native SoundScapes’ on his Native American flute. 

Photo by Randy Motz

Randy "Windtalker" Motz

Also, Richard Judy will be present to sign his book ‘Thru: An Appalachian Trail Love Story’.”  Judy’s book is the first one published by the Appalachian Trail Museum.  Emcee for the evening will be Cindy Dunn, president and CEO of PennFuture, one of Pennsylvania’s leading environmental advocacy groups. Ron Tipton, executive director and CEO of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, also will speak.

Three classes were previously elected to the A.T. Hall of Fame.  The Charter Class, elected in 2011, was comprised of 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.  The 2013 Class was Ruth Blackburn, David Field, David Sherman, David Startzell and Everett (Eddie) Stone.

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://atmbanquet2014.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
                                                    Banquet Tickets                                     
                                                    1120 Pine Grove Road
                                                    Gardners, PA  17324

Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame inductees are honored in the Appalachian Trail Museum, which has had approximately 29,800 visitors from throughout the United States and 18 other countries since it opened in Pine Grove Furnace State Park in June 2010.  Located near the midway point of the 2,185-mile-long Appalachian Trail, the museum is across from the Pine Grove General Store on Pennsylvania Route 233. 

Photo by A.T. Museum, Joe Harold

Appalachian Trail Museum

                                                                                                 
The Appalachian Trail Museum, Inc., a 501-C-3 not-for-profit organization, organizes programs, exhibits, volunteers and fundraising nationwide for the Appalachian Trail Museum.  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.