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St. Luke’s University Health Network will recognize the region’s top scholastic and youth club athletes, coaches and teams at its first-ever St. Luke’s All-Star Awards Night on May 8.

Awards in nine categories will be bestowed during a ceremony that will take place 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University in Bethlehem. See the list of nominees here: https://www.slhn.org/orthopedics/conditions-and-services/sports-medicine/all-star-awards/all-star-nominees.

The St. Luke’s All-Star Awards Night will be broadcasted live starting at 8 p.m. on WFMZ Channel 69. WFMZ Sports Director Dan Moscaritolo and Sports Anchor Jim Vaughn of “The Big Ticket” will serve as hosts. Presenters will include Wendy Davis and Rob Vaughn of WFMZ and Sam Malone of Cat Country 96, among others.

David Akers, six-time NFL Pro-Bowler and Philadelphia Eagles Hall-of-Famer, will present the awards, which include sports medicine provider of the year.

“Sports play such a vital role in the lives of students, building character, promoting teamwork and encouraging commitment and personal responsibility,” says John Hauth, senior director of Sports Medicine for St. Luke’s University Health Network. “St. Luke’s is thrilled to host this All-Star event and pay tribute to all of the hard work and dedication of our region’s brightest student athletes.”

As the region’s largest provider of sports medicine, St. Luke’s is committed to providing all-star care and treatment to athletes of all ages and skill level.

St. Luke’s spectrum of sports-related medical services include orthopedic surgery, sports medicine, athletic training, physical therapy, primary care sports medicine, a concussion prevention and management program, sports performance facilities and expertise and fitness centers.

St. Luke’s provides on-site, emergency and on-going care for athletes at a host of schools and youth organizations in and around the Lehigh Valley, the Poconos, the Schuylkill County region and western New Jersey.

Hauth said the idea for St. Luke’s All-Star Awards Night originated with the network’s athletic trainers who were impressed with the young athletes they work with. A call went out for nominations with hundreds pouring in. “The response has been fantastic,” Hauth said.

Winners were chosen by a selection committee made up of people both part of and knowledgeable about youth and scholastic sports in the region.

The award categories include:

• All-Star Athlete Award (Female):  Given to the top-performing female high school athlete.
• All-Star Athlete Award (Male): Given to the top-performing male high school athlete.
• All-Star Team Award (Female): Given to a women’s high-school sports team.
• All-Star Team Award (Male): Given to a men’s high-school team. 
• Club Sports Award: Given to the top-performing male or female student athlete in grades 9-12 who is involved in non-high school or community-based sports program.
• Difference Maker Award: Given to a male or female in a high school or club sport who has achieved excellence in sports and whose extracurricular activities or community outreach efforts have made a difference in the lives of others.
• Against All Odds Award: Given to the top-performing male or female high school or club athlete who has overcome a physical limitation or disability or a personal struggle.
• Coach of the Year: Given to a coach of a high school or student club sports (grades 9-12) who demonstrates leadership both on and off the field and who motivates and inspires his/her student athletes to reach their fullest potential.
• Sports Medicine Provider of the Year: Given to a health care professional (physician, physical therapist, athletic trainer or sports performance specialist) who is committed to professional excellence and has made a difference in the field of sports medicine and in the lives of student athletes.

St. Luke’s All-Star Awards Night is being made possible through the help of sponsors. They include:

• Elite: lehighvalleylive.com and The Express-Times
• Platinum: 99 The Hawk, Cat Country 96 FM, WLEV 100.7

The All-Star Awards Night kicks off at 6:30 p.m. with pre-program activities and photos. Attendees must be in their seats by 7:30 p.m. The program will air live on WFMZ from 8 to 9 p.m. on May 8.

“It should be a fantastic night,” Hauth said.

The top-nominated student athletes, teams, coaches and health care providers will have reserved seating.

The event is free to the public. But Hauth said tickets are going fast. To reserve a general admission ticket, visit www.zoellnerartscenter.org, call 610-758-2787 (7LU-ARTS), ext. 0, or stop by the Ticket Services window, located on the first floor of Zoellner. The limit is four tickets per guest.

About St. Luke’s

Founded in 1872, St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) is a fully integrated, regional, non-profit network of more than 15,000 employees providing services at 10 hospitals and over 320 outpatient sites.  With annual net revenue greater than $2 billion, the Network’s service area includes 10 counties: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe and Schuylkill counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey.  Dedicated to advancing medical education, St. Luke’s is the preeminent teaching hospital in central-eastern Pennsylvania.  In partnership with Temple University, St. Luke’s created the Lehigh Valley’s first and only regional medical school campus.  It also operates the nation’s longest continuously operating School of Nursing, established in 1884, and 28 fully accredited graduate medical educational programs with 226 residents and fellows.  St. Luke’s is the only Lehigh Valley-based health care system with Medicare’s five- and four-star ratings (the highest) for quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction.  St. Luke’s is both a Leapfrog Group and Healthgrades Top Hospital and a Newsweek World’s Best Hospital.  In 2019, three of IBM Watson Health’s 100 Top Hospitals were St. Luke’s hospitals.  St. Luke’s University Hospital has earned the 100 Top Major Teaching Hospital designation from IBM Watson Health seven times total and five years in a row. St. Luke’s has also been cited by IBM Watson Health as a 50 Top Cardiovascular Program.  Utilizing the Epic electronic medical record (EMR) system for both inpatient and outpatient services, the Network is a multi-year recipient of the Most Wired award recognizing the breadth of the SLUHN’s information technology applications such as telehealth, online scheduling and online pricing information.  St. Luke’s is also recognized as one of the state’s lowest cost providers.