The second annual Only In Lawrence honorees will be unveiled at 5:30 p.m. today during a reception in the Journal-World’s News Center, Seventh and New Hampshire streets. The community is invited to join in the celebration.

It’s a good bet that some of the honorees will be names most people don’t recognize. That’s just what Only In Lawrence is about: paying tribute to people who don’t often get the headlines but without whom Lawrence wouldn’t be the community it is.

More than 50 people will be featured in the 2012 Only In Lawrence special edition of the Journal-World being published Sunday. The honorees are people who help make Lawrence a wonderful and interesting place to live, work, learn and recreate.

To make room for the stories, Sunday’s Journal-World has been expanded by two sections. More people will be featured in the newspaper in the days to come.

Only In Lawrence recognizes people in five categories: community, learning, arts, sports and history. There is also a top overall honoree, who will appear on the front page of Sunday’s Journal-World.

Most of those being recognized were nominated by readers wanting to thank or highlight someone who has made his or her life better. Also involved in the nominating process were honorees from the inaugural 2011 Only In Lawrence class. Our reporters and editors also tapped their sources for more people to consider.

Only in Lawrence is an annual event. Please help us get started for next year by nominating other Lawrencians we should be celebrating.

Until then, smile at the people you pass in the street, bake your neighbor a cake, cheer a local softball team on at the ballpark. Embrace and enjoy our community, as the Journal-World does this week with Only in Lawrence.