The Parkland Education Foundation's Alumni Gala and Auction honoring Wall of Honor inductees was celebrated with a Cinco de Mayo Fiesta theme.

As soon as attendees entered the Holiday Inn Conference Center, Fogels-ville, they were greeted with the bright colors of Cinco de Mayo and music from the Parkland High School Jazz Ensemble, directed by Jason Lerew.

Guests could wander in front of tables filled with various donated auction items to bid on while they tasted a variety of tacos and beverages.

Stacey Stauffer, a '91 graduate of Parkland High and host on QVC, served as emcee.

She introduced Buddy Lesavoy, president of the Parkland School District Education Foundation, who greeted the more than 500 attendees.

While dinner was being served, the Serenata Strolling Strings walked around the tables and serenaded the dinner guests.

The high school dance team also performed with a fiesta theme.

The Wall of Honor, sponsored by Ironton Telephone and Service Electric, is located outside the high school.

Inductees were recognized and a short video of Parkland High School students interviewing the honorees was shown.

The 2014 Distinguished Alumni Wall of Honor inductees include: Jeffrey T. Bogert, '64, senior partner, Magellan Financial Inc.; Greg DeLong, '91, Parkland's first NFL football player; Douglas Kern, '71, entrepreneur, volunteer for Miracle League of the Lehigh Valley; Suzanne M. Kompass, '79, international soprano, platinum selling artist and master teacher of voice; Chris Renaud, '85, Oscar-nominated feature film director; and Ronald C. Snyder, '63, volunteer, Lehigh Valley Hospital, retired from Mack Trucks.

Of the more than 100 grants given with the money donated to the Parkland Education Foundation, a few of the grants were described during the award ceremony.

Diane Irish, described how she used the Celebration Innovation Grant she received for the "Be the Bridge" program.

The grant was used to fund Snack Packs for students who need extra nourishment, for mentoring and for community building.

A Parkland Community Resource Fair was recently held at Asbury Methodist Church.

Irish, a licensed school social worker was director of the program.

Closing remarks were made by Superintendent Richard T. Sniscak.