Amanda Forrester / news@whmi.com

The Huron Valley Martin Luther King Jr. Day Committee is commemorating its 20th year with several events, including the yearly March on Main in Milford.

The March on Main will begin at the Prospect Hill Shopping Center at 1 p.m. on Jan. 19, though community members will start lining up at 12:30 p.m. The March will end at the SHAC around 1:45 p.m.

Hundreds of people join in the walk, carrying signs and celebrating the legacy of King, Committee Chair Isaac Perry said. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech will also be played.

Perry said at the end of the walk, there will be presentations, music, snacks and hot drinks and several speeches. The traveling poster exhibit from the Smithsonian’s Museum of African American History is on display at the SHAC through Feb. 14. The committee will also present awards to the winners of the art, writing and multimedia contest.

On Jan. 20, the meal drive and assembly will take place at the SHAC from 5 until 8 p.m. Participants will be given a paper bag that can be decorated with art supplies and embellishments related to MLK Day, then filled with non-perishable foods that will be set up. The bags will be collected and donated to the Community Sharing Outreach Center.

Food is still being collected for the meal drive. This year’s meal is Southwest chicken soup. Ingredients needed are 12 oz jars of salsa verde, 24 oz cans of chicken breast, 15 oz cans of cannellini beans and 24 oz containers of chicken broth. Donations can be dropped off at Mattie’s Market, Colasanti’s Market, River’s Edge Brewing and the SHAC.

This year, the committee has partnered with 2 Dandelions Bookshop in Brighton for the Children’s Book Mission. Perry said that teachers submitted a wish list of books for their classrooms. Eight teachers were selected, and their wish lists are on the bookstore’s website. The website shows which books have been purchased. He said there was enough money raised that books that aren’t purchased by the public will be bought by the committee. A link to 2 Dandelions Bookshop is below.

All of the events are family-friendly and free.

Perry said the events give the community a chance to support each other and keep King's memory alive.

For more information on the Huron Valley Martin Luther King Jr. Day Committee, visit the second link below.