First Posted: 4/22/2010

WILKES-BARRE – A 2003 Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame inductee who established the Noxen Athletic Association and the Noxen Strikers Wrestling Team is this year’s winner of The Jefferson Award at a ceremony sponsored by The .

Jefferson Award finalists, from left, Irene Transue, Dr. Paul Kutish, Ronald Swingle, Marge Bart and Christopher Concert stand with their awards during Wednesday’s event.

S. John Wilkin / Times Leader photo

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Ronald Swingle Sr., of Noxen, was among five finalists honored at Wednesday evening’s reception and awards ceremony held at the Ramada.

Out of his own pocket, Swingle supplied equipment and other needed items to boys who could not afford them.

Last year he and his friends established the Noxen Neighborhood Center Corp., which provides community, family and sports activities to children and adults in southeastern Wyoming County.

Since 1972, the American Institute for Public Service has presented the Jefferson Awards to distinguish and encourage community service.

A panel of judges chose 17 semifinalists to receive special recognition, according to Times Leader Editor and Publisher Richard L. Connor. From there, the list was narrowed down to five finalists.

“It’s great to see all of you from the community tonight,” Connor said during the awards recognition. “We have 17 honorees – all who have done great things.”

Rachel A. Pugh, Weekender general manager and Times Leader vice president of marketing, organized the event.

As Connor announced the names of the semifinalists, a short video played. After all the honorees were called, the finalists – Swingle, Marge Bart, Christopher Concert, Dr. Paul Kutish and Irene Transue – were called to receive their certificates.

Swingle received an all-expense-paid trip to the national Jefferson Awards recognition banquet in Washington, D.C., to represent this region.

The semifinalists were: Bart, Dallas; Alma Berlot, Nanticoke; Louis Berti, West Pittston; Concert, Swoyersville; Cheryl Fuller, Dallas; Robert Hess, Ashley; Palmer Johnson, West Wyoming; Kutish, Kingston; John Maday, Wilkes-Barre; Hermine Mascelli, Wilkes-Barre; Dino Ninotti, Wilkes-Barre; Jeremy Sereyka, Wilkes-Barre; Allison Spencer, Shavertown; Lisa Stull, Dallas; Swingle, Noxen; Transue, Dallas; and Robert Zanicky, Drums.