By Liz Beavers
lbeavers@newstribune.info
Tribune Managing Editor
KEYSER – The three young men rise from the seats they have occupied to the side of the stage for the better part of an hour.
The road they have traveled to earn the privilege of sitting on that stage on an April morning has been a long one, filled with countless drills, difficult homework assignments, and, typically, both wins and losses on the field or court and in the classroom.
They are the Kelley Award nominees, and although one of them will ultimately be named the “winner” of the award named after Keyser High School graduate and Congressional Medal of Honor winner Jonah Edward Kelley, they are all three “winners” in every sense of the word.
Since the Kelley Award started in 1946, a total of 192 young men have stood up on the stage, and 64 of them were named recipient of the award.
Each one of those young men had a story to tell.
In the upcoming Kelley Magazine,  the Mineral Daily News Tribune is offering each of those nominees a chance to tell his story .... in 500 words or less.
Tell us what being nominated or winning the Kelley Award meant to you, and we will publish it, in your own words. If you have a current photo, send that along as well.
Submissions may be emailed to lbeavers@newstribune.info, along with a contact phone number.
The deadline to submit your story is Monday, Dec. 28.
Kelley is being published by the News Tribune in honor of the 65th anniversary of the Jonah Edward Kelley Award.
The  story will be told in a full-color magazine-style publication and will include information on Kelley himself, featuring stories and photos by those who knew him;  information from the 78th Lightning Division, with whom he served; the history of the award and the J. Edward Kelley Society, and much more.
Special attention will be given to the organizations, institutions, and people who started this most revered tradition and who continue to do all they can to see that the memory of J. Edward Kelley endures through today and tomorrow.
Some of those groups include Keyser Moose Lodge  662, who presented the first watches to the award nominees in 1945; Keyser High School; Keyser VFW Post 3518; and Boyce-Houser American Legion Post 41.
“Members of the public are encouraged to become a part of this project,” News Tribune publisher Boden said. “Photos and articles will
 be needed, as well as proofreaders, community editors, and project advocates to insure that all the t’s are crossed and all the i’s dotted and to also make sure that nobody (or nothing) is left out.”
If you have some suggestions for things that should be included for the project, you are encouraged to stop by the News Tribune and visit with  Boden or News-Tribune Editor Liz Beavers, call them at 304-788-3333, or email them at dboden@newstribune.info or  lbeavers@newstribune.info.
Those wishing to pre-order copies of the magazine may do so today, a special pre-order price of  $5.66 plus tax.
Once the magazine is published, it will sell for $7.55 plus tax.
News-Tribune advertising reps are also currently selling advertising space in the magazine. If you are interested in placing an advertisement as a means of supporting this effort to celebrate one of our nation’s most unique community events, please call our office at 304-788-3333.