The Jim Thorpe Lions Club, sponsor of the annual Halloween Parade in the community, has selected Carbon County Commissioner Michael J. Sofranko to be its grand marshal.

The parade will be held on Saturday at 2 p.m., with a 1 p.m. lineup time. The rain date is Sunday, with the same start and lineup times.

Pamela McElmoyle, parade chair and president of the Lions Club, said that Sofranko “has always been a great asset to our community.”

“As a kid, I remember him being a friendly face working on projects at St. Joseph’s Church on North Street,” McElmoyle said. “He has given much of his time to our youth, coaching over the years and served for many years on our council and as mayor.

Sofranko, she said, “has always supported the work that the Jim Thorpe Lions does for the community, and we appreciate all he has done for Jim Thorpe and continues to do for the betterment of Carbon County and its residents.”

For his part, Sofranko said that he was “humbled by their selection of me” to be grand marshal.

“They (club members) have supported the community in many aspects,” he said. “They care deeply about the community and I care deeply about it and its residents, too. The club members work hard for the community, and for them to acknowledge me and the work we’ve been able to do in the town, is humbling to me.”

Sofranko is a lifelong resident of Jim Thorpe, a son of Florence Sofranko of Jim Thorpe and the late James Sofranko.

He and his wife of 36 years, the former Therese Krebs, are the parents of Michael (wife Christina), and Emily (husband Paul Martin), and have two grandchildren, Bella and Lukas.

The grand marshal, who is in his first term on the board of commissioners and is its chairman, served the borough for 30 years, including 14 years as mayor before being elected to the commissioner’s office. Sofranko was also on the borough council for 16 years, including 14 as its president.

He is a Carbon County Republican Party committeeman and serves on the party’s executive committee.

Sofranko had been active in St. Joseph Catholic Church, Jim Thorpe, where he served as chair of the parish and finance councils. For 16 years, he coached boys and girls Catholic Youth Organization basketball for St. Joseph’s. He is also a past president of St. Joseph’s CYO and the Marian Fillies’ Basketball Booster Club, and had served as a District Region 5 CYO representative.

He is a current member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Jim Thorpe.

Parade route

McElmoyle noted the parade route this year has been changed and is as follows:

• Coming out of high school parking lot onto Olympian Way.

• Left onto Center Street from Olympian Way to Ninth Street.

• Right on Ninth Street. Ninth Street from Center Street to North Street.

• Cross North Street continuing on Ninth Street until Lehigh.

• Left onto Lehigh Street until Fifth Street.

• Left onto Fifth Street.

• Crossing North Street continuing on Fifth Street.

• Right onto Center Street. Follow Center Street from Fifth Street to Third Street.

• Third Street is the ending point. Vehicles will proceed to Second Street and disperse onto Route 903.

Marchers will board buses on Third street to be transported to Memorial Park.

The parade will take a left turn onto Third Street between Center and South so as to not disrupt traffic on Third Street from Center Street to North Street.