Throughout the years, many people have contributed to make the Donegal School District area a great place to work and live. With that in mind, the Donegal Memorial Monument Committee (DMMC) was formed to recognize members of the community who have made an impact. The committee is seeking nominations for leaders to be included on the monument, located at the football stadium at Donegal High School, 1025 Koser Road, Mount Joy.

The idea for the monument came up during the capital campaign to create a new football stadium in 2015, said Scott Madara, a member of the Donegal Athletic Club and a DMMC member. "We decided that on a yearly basis, the committee would accept nominations for people who have given significant time or talent to either the Donegal School District in particular or to the community at large," he stated, adding that honorees could have impacted communities in Maytown, Marietta or Mount Joy.

The memorial monument committee is made up of a cross-section of people, Madara explained, noting that committee members include district administrators, teachers, staff and community members. After nominations are submitted to the DMMC, the committee reviews the information and passes along the names of potential honorees to the Donegal School Board, which has the final say in determining whose names will be included on a plaque on the memorial. Five plaques are currently installed on the monument, dating back to 2017. Among the first year's honorees were Clarence Schock and Anne Milanof, for whom the Mount Joy public library is named. A plaque in the center of the display recognizes the people and organizations who helped fund the creation of the monument.

Madara noted that although the monument is called a "memorial," honorees do not need to be deceased to be nominated. Many of the people currently named on the monument are still active members of the Donegal community, he stated.

He encourages anyone who has a person in mind to submit a nomination for inclusion on the monument. "This monument is a way to recognize people who have dedicated themselves to service," Madara said. "It's a way to honor them and what they've done for others in the community or the school district."

Nominations are due by Wednesday, Aug. 31, and they will be reviewed by the DMMC during the month of September before they are presented to the Donegal School Board. For more information and to get a nomination form, contact Madara at samadara8583@gmail.com.