Wallenberg Honors Return to Parsippany May 15

The public is invited to see New Jersey's cream of the crop May 15 at Parsippany Hills High School when the Wallenberg Awards will be presented at a special ceremony.

A select group of 26 middle school students and 28 high schoolers residing in Essex, Morris, Warren, Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex, Sussex, Passaic, Union and Hudson Counties will be honored for performing acts showing courage and compassion in their service to others, in the performance of an act of heroism or bravery or in promoting understanding, acceptance, tolerance and peace in their school or community.

Nominations for the annual Wallenberg Awards came from faculty members at hundreds of area schools.

The awards are named for Raoul Wallenberg, a young,wealthy Swede of the Lutheran faith, who inspired others to help him rescue 100,000 human beings  who faced death in the face of the Nazi Holocaust. Wallenberg is now one of four honorary citizens of the U.S.

The event's keynote speaker will be Marianne Balshone, who herself was rescued by Wallenberg during the Holocaust.

The general public is welcome to the ceremony; admission is free. Light refreshments will be served at the conclusion of the event, which begins at 7 p.m.

For more information, please contact Joni Benos at 973-263-7200, ext. 7250, or Harry Ettlinger at 973-366-4350.