Downtown Milford will once again celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with its annual March on Main Street and other events.

The Huron Valley MLK Day Committee will offer opportunities throughout January to participate in honoring the holiday; from donating items to the annual soup meal food drive, submitting to the art/writing/multimedia contest, walking in the March on Main Street, or assisting at the soup meal assembly event to benefit Community Sharing Outreach Center’s food pantry.

The annual March on Main Street will take place this Sunday, January 19th, with participants marching from Prospect Hill to The SHAC in downtown Milford. Following the March, the winners of an art/writing/multimedia contest will be announced. The contest recognizes creative expressions of this year’s theme, “Don’t Just Dream It, Live It”. Area residents are encouraged to observe the MLK National Day of Service by donating requested ingredients to Community Sharing leading up to the Soup Food Drive Meal Assembly on MLK Day.

The goal of the celebration is to encourage volunteerism, support the dreams of all citizens dedicated to building a better society, and explore the connection between the Civil Rights Movement and present day.

Isaac Perry is Chair of the Huron Valley MLK Day Committee and says the intent of the community service events is to honor the legacy of Dr. King adding, "Every community faces challenges to equal treatment and tolerance and making sure we are continuing to foster a community spirit where everybody feels included, no matter what their political beliefs or their background might be. Dr. King...his message in many ways really was the pinnacle of getting that message out there to the American public."

Being the 15th year of the celebration, Perry says he hopes it will encourage more people to attend and become involved with local community service events. More information about each of the events can be found at the link below. (DK)