The Ben Yorgey Foundation recently gave $14,500 in awards to seven Parkland students along with six other students from Lehigh County and two from Carbon County.

Some of this year's award recipients include Bette Seifert, Kyle Getz, Sara McCarry, Briana Hall, Tyler Mickle, Alexandria Guerrero, and Zachary Warsinski.

From June 2010 through June of this year, the Ben Yorgey Foundation has given more than $35,000 in graduation awards to students in Lehigh, Carbon and Berks counties.

The Ben Yorgey Foundation is dedicated to honoring young people with intellectual disabilities.

The foundation was established in September 2009 in memory of Ben Yorgey, who died unexpectedly in May 2009.

Ben was an East Penn student from kindergarten on in Life Skills classes. He graduated in 2006 from Emmaus High School.

Ben was a young man who, in spite of his disabilities, enjoyed life and made the world a more enjoyable place for those he came in contact with.

The Ben Yorgey Memorial Award is given to those students who, like Ben, make a positive impact on the world around them.