{"id":149848,"date":"2026-06-08T21:58:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T01:58:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/?p=149848"},"modified":"2026-06-08T21:58:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T01:58:14","slug":"celebrating-the-best-of-the-northern-lehigh-region-2026-spirit-award-honorees-announced","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/?p=149848","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating the Best of the Northern Lehigh Region: 2026 Spirit Award Honorees Announced"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>Greater Northern Lehigh Chamber Presents:\u00a033rd\u00a0Annual Spirit Awards<br \/>\nJune 20,\u00a02026\u00a0| 9:30 AM \u2013 11:30 AM\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Three outstanding community leaders and organizations whose service, leadership, and dedication have helped shape Northern Lehigh will be recognized at the Greater Northern Lehigh Chamber&#8217;s 33rd Annual Spirit Awards on Saturday, June 20, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at historic Ontelaunee Park.<\/p>\n<p>Presented by the Greater Northern Lehigh Chamber of Commerce, a proud partner of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Spirit Awards are a longstanding community tradition honoring those whose contributions make Northern Lehigh a stronger, more vibrant place to live, work, and do business.<\/p>\n<p>As communities across Pennsylvania prepare to commemorate America&#8217;s 250th anniversary, this year&#8217;s celebration will embrace an America250 inspired theme, recognizing local individuals and organizations whose commitment to service, volunteerism, innovation, and community pride reflects the values that have helped shape our nation for generations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>This year\u2019s distinguished honorees include:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Charlie Sule<\/strong>\u202f\u2013\u202f<em>Spirit Award<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Crystal Spring Farm<\/strong>\u202f\u2013\u202f<em>Business of the Year\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Northern Lehigh Educational Foundation<\/strong>\u2013\u202f<em>Nonprofit of the Year<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cOne of the greatest strengths of Northern Lehigh is the people who continually step up to support their neighbors, invest in their communities, and create opportunities for others,\u201d said Jessica O&#8217;Donnell-Gower, Executive Vice President of Affiliated Chambers for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. \u201cThe Spirit Awards give us the chance to pause and celebrate those contributions while bringing the community together around a shared sense of pride and appreciation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Meet the Honorees:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Charlie Sule, owner of Sule&#8217;s\u00a0Collision\u00a0Center, is a shining example of community spirit in action. A devoted member of the Slatington Lions Club for more than 30 years, Charlie has generously given his time, resources, and leadership to countless initiatives. From his longstanding involvement in the annual Car Show to his ongoing support of local first responders, the library, and Rails to Trails, Charlie\u2019s impact can be felt throughout the community.<\/li>\n<li>Crystal Spring Farm, celebrating over 51 years of service,\u00a0has been a true staple of the Greater Northern Lehigh community. Through decades of dedication, hard work, and a commitment to quality, they have built\u00a0a lasting legacy\u00a0and continue to be a valued local business and gathering place for residents.<\/li>\n<li>The Northern Lehigh Educational Foundation plays an integral role in supporting the school district by securing funding through community partnerships and grants. Their efforts provide vital resources, enhance educational opportunities, and award scholarships to students, making a lasting difference in the lives of many. Their dedication to education and student success makes them truly deserving of this recognition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cThe Spirit Awards are about recognizing the individuals and organizations whose dedication helps make Greater Northern Lehigh such a special place,\u201d said Emily Sewilo, Manager of Affiliated Chambers for GNLCC. \u201cCharlie Sule, Crystal Spring Farm, and the Northern Lehigh Educational Foundation each represent a unique and important part of our community. Through their leadership, generosity, and commitment to serving others, they have made a lasting impact on the people and places that define our region. We are honored to celebrate their achievements and contributions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For more information about Greater Northern Lehigh\u2019s Spirit Awards or to reserve your seat, please visit the Greater Northern Lehigh\u2019s website at:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/web.lehighvalleychamber.org\/events\/2026Greater%20Northern%20Lehigh%20Spirit%20Awards-841294\/details\">2026 Greater Northern Lehigh Annual Spirit Awards<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>When:<\/strong><em>\u00a0<\/em>June\u00a020, 2026\u00a0from 9:30 AM \u2013 11:30 AM<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pricing Information:<\/strong>\u00a0$45\u00a0Individual Member Rate\/$85 Couple Member Rate; $60 Individual Future-Member Rate\/$115\u00a0Couple Future-Member Rate.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sponsors\u00a0(as of\u00a06\/8\/2026):\u00a0<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 Gold Sponsors: Keystone Technology LLC,\u00a0The Neffs National Bank<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Silver Sponsors:\u00a0Jerdon Construction, SERVPRO Team Davis\u00a0and\u00a0Bechtel\u2019s Pharmacy<br \/>\n\u2022 Bronze Sponsors:\u00a0Rentschler Auto Group\u00a0and\u00a0Heintzelman Funeral Homes Schnecksville<br \/>\n\u2022 Cocktail Hour Sponsors: Eight Oaks Farm Distillery &amp; Service Electric Business<br \/>\n\u2022 Print Sponsor: EBC Printing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>About the Chamber:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<em>The mission of The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce is to improve the economy and quality of life in the Lehigh Valley Metropolitan Area.\u00a0 We accomplish this through business-to-business networking events and marketing products, affinity programs and exclusive, money saving member benefits, training programs, government affairs initiatives and public policy advocacy, and community development enterprises.\u00a0 With\u00a0nearly 5,000\u00a0members who employ more than 200,000, the Chamber is the largest in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and in the top ten nationwide.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Information provided to TVL by:<br \/>\nEmily Sewilo<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Greater Northern Lehigh Chamber Presents:\u00a033rd\u00a0Annual Spirit Awards June 20,\u00a02026\u00a0| 9:30 AM \u2013 11:30 AM\u00a0 Three outstanding community leaders and organizations whose service, leadership, and dedication have helped shape Northern Lehigh will be recognized at the Greater Northern Lehigh Chamber&#8217;s 33rd Annual Spirit Awards on Saturday, June 20, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/?p=149848\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Celebrating the Best of the Northern Lehigh Region: 2026 Spirit Award Honorees Announced<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":149849,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[69,482],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-149848","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-in-the-valley","category-press-release-2"],"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/spirit-awards-2026.jpg?fit=672%2C372&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149848","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=149848"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149848\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":149850,"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149848\/revisions\/149850"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/149849"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=149848"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=149848"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=149848"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}