The PennZone

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - PennZone -- Grace Montessori School (GMS), a nonprofit school and childcare center serving children ages 15 months to 12 years, will host its annual Legacy of Learning benefit on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. at the Americus Hotel in Allentown. GMS will dedicate part of the evening to honoring Dianne Pagano Manges, recipient of the Grace Montessori Lifetime Learning Award, and Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk and his wife, Karen, recipients of the Grace Montessori Mission Award.

"Honoring Dianne, Karen, and Mayor Matt is a reflection of the incredible community that surrounds Grace Montessori School," said Radhika Hoshing, director of Grace Montessori School. "Through the Legacy of Learning benefit, we are not only celebrating their impact on the area but also raising support to continue growing our programs."

Ashley and Nolan Russo will serve as the night's honorary co-chairs, and Genesis Ortega, public affairs and policy officer for the Allentown City Council, will serve as emcee.

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School parents, alumni, staff and community supporters of GMS will enjoy an evening of heavy hors d'oeuvres, cocktails and live entertainment.

The annual benefit supports scholarship opportunities, such as GMS's Closing the Achievement Gap. Funds raised will also help sustain programming.

Well known for her dedication to philanthropic work in the Lehigh Valley and for her many volunteer activities in her role as senior investment manager with Truist Foundations and Endowments Specialty Practice, Manges has played a vital role in managing GMS's assets, including scholarship funds.

Mayor Matt Tuerk and his wife, Karen, director of Muhlenberg College's Environmental Science Program and a former GMS educator, have a deep love for the Allentown community. Both have served on the GMS advisory board, and Karen currently serves as the president.

All three will be recognized for their service to GMS and their dedication and commitment to improving the lives of families in Allentown and throughout the Lehigh Valley.

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Legacy of Learning's event committee members include Hoshing, Libby House, Andrea Langkamer-Smith, Gloria Power, Karen Tuerk and Yuli Vanegas.

Event sponsors include Linda and Anthony Parrotto, the Milosev Family Foundation, Diana Marshall, Gloria and Tom Power, and Truist Foundations and Endowments Specialty Practice.

For more information on GMS's Legacy of Learning annual benefit, visit https://gracemontessori.org/2026-event/.

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About Grace Montessori School

Grace Montessori School was established in 1992. A nonprofit school and childcare center, we are members of the American Montessori Society, licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, and registered as a private, non-public school with the Department of Education of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As an Episcopal School, we value nurturing the whole child by providing opportunities for Spiritual, Social-Emotional, and Cognitive development.