The Carbon County Hall of Sports Hall of Fame committee will hold its 2025 induction dinner and program on Sunday, May 25, at the Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Company hall.

The ceremony will honor 17 inductees from five Carbon County communities and Coaldale and Tamaqua who were selected for the honor by committees representing each of the towns. The doors will open at 12:30 p.m. and the banquet will commence at 1:45.

The inductees include:

Coaldale: Dennis Gildea and Sami Vavra.

Jim Thorpe: Corey Cinicola, Justin Young and Chris “Chopper” Figura.

Lansford: Bob Thomas and Charles “Sparky” Williams; special recognition: Brenda Banks.

Lehighton: Roger Neff, Jean Buskirk and Thomas A. Schaeffer.

Nesquehoning: Frank J. Damian, Bobby Agosti and Elizabeth “Lisa” (Evans) Johnson.

Summit Hill: Casey Lawrence and Richard D. Smith Jr.

Tamaqua: Michael W. Hromyak Jr. and Jon Bonner.

Tickets to the event are available from the following: Dan McGinley, 570-325- 3550, Vince Spisak, 570-645-4542, Jake Boyer, 610-751-6634, Trevor Lawrence, 570-645-4722, Bill Gardiner, 570-669- 6564, Bob Gelatko, 570-645-7565, and Evan Evans, 570-645-7716.

The Times News will run biographies of the inductees by town on Saturdays. The inductees representing Tamaqua are as follows:

Jon Bonner

A lifelong interest in the martial arts, including karate and Ju Jitsu, earned induction into Halls of Fame in the sports for Tamaqua resident Jon Bonner.

In 1995 and 1996, Jon was inducted into the World Martial Arts and World Karate Union Halls of Fame, respectively, for his work in those fields dating back to the 1970s.

Since 1976, Jon has been the director of training for USA Martial Arts and Fitness, Tamaqua, where he instructs martial arts and fitness kickboxing classes, and, among other duties, designs, implements and coordinates programs for children and adults in the field. Since 1999, he has also been the president and CEO of Sidekick Productions, Tamaqua, where he is responsible for the overall operation of martial arts and fitness-related programs and events.

From 1978 to the present, he has served as the tournament director of the Coal Kickin’ Karate Tournament, Tamaqua, having successfully coordinated and promoted one of the largest regional martial arts tournaments in the commonwealth, including planning the events, scheduling officials and staffing and directing the daylong tourney.

Jon holds an eighth degree grand master black belt in Ju Jitsu and a third degree black belt in karate and is a master instructor in oriental weapons. He has taught self-defense to children, teens and adults at USA Martial Arts & Fitness for the past 49 years, as well as instructing specialty lessons in women’s self-defense and rape prevention seminars, and mentoring an Air Force military police seminar.

His personal competition brought Jon many awards, as he has won over 50 trophies in competitions held in the tri-state area. He copped the Pennsylvania State championship in black belt fighting, light weight division, in 1995, and also trained a team of tournament competitors who won over 800 trophies and titles.

Jon holds certifications as a fitness kickboxing instructor and personal trainer, and in the categories of kid fitness, body toning, strength training, aqua fitness and group fitness. He is a Pennsylvania state representative to the National Karate and Ju Jitsu Union 1980s.

Jon received a bachelor of science degree in communications arts in 1975 from East Stroudsburg University and a master’s degree in communications art in 1978 from Shippensburg University.

From 1976-2008, he taught communications, public speaking and English in the Tamaqua Area School District, where he was also a dual enrollment instructor for Lehigh Carbon Community College in Speech I. He was also an adjunct instructor in public speaking at Penn State University’s Schuylkill Campus from 1982-85.

For the past 22 years, he has been an adjunct instructor of Public Speaking and Personal Self-Defense at the community college’s Schnecksville campus.

Michael W. Hromyak Jr.

Michael Hromyak is a 1988 graduate of Tamaqua Area High School where he was a three-sport athlete in cross country, basketball and baseball. Upon graduation, Mike attended East Stroudsburg University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education with a concentration in sports journalism in 1992. He continued at ESU to earn his masters of education in sports management degree in 1999.

While at ESU, Mike worked in the athletic department with the sports information director for four years as an undergraduate and then continued as a graduate assistant for another year. He did an internship with the athletic department at Bloomsburg University in 1992 and then an internship at the University of Delaware, also in the sports information office in 1993-94.

In July of 1994, Mike was hired as the athletic director and public relations coordinator at his high school alma mater. He has been responsible for 19 varsity sports and eigtht middle school programs over the past 31 years. During his tenure, Mike was involved with beginning the girls soccer program and as one of the first schools in the state to begin a girls wrestling program. Mike has also been the host AD for numerous Schuylkill League, District 11 and PIAA State playoff events. One of his proudest moments for TASD was the beginning of the Tamaqua Area Athletic Hall of Fame, which he started in 1996. During that time, 17 coaches, 148 athletes, 15 teams and four contributors have been inducted in to the Tamaqua Athletic Hall of Fame.

Mike has been actively involved with Schuylkill League, District 11 and PIAA organizations. In the Schuylkill League, he has served as president of the Athletic Directors Association for many years, chairman of the boys and girls soccer league for over 25 years, secretary of the District 11 AD Association for over 15 years, currently the president of the Eastern Football Conference for over five years, and member of the PIAA Athletic Director’s Delegate Assembly for over 10 years.

He has also volunteered his time with local organizations such as a member of the National Football Foundation Chapter 25 — the Schuylkill County Football Scholar Athlete Committee and the Eastern Schuylkill Recreation Committee.

Mike has received several awards during his tenure including, being named the Schuylkill League Athletic Director of the Year four times, the Frank Ulicny Award winner in 2006, the District 11 AD of the Year in 2003 and the PIAA State Region 2 Athletic Director of the Year in 2011. He also received a blazer from the Football Scholar Athlete organization recognizing his years of service and dedication to the organization.

Mike resides in West Penn Township in the Tamaqua Area School District. He is the son of the late Michael W. Hromyak Sr. and Mary Lou Hromyak. His father was inducted into this Hall of Fame in 2013. He has two daughters, Alexa (26) and Rebekah (23). Alexa is married to Donovan Hensley.