A number of service projects and volunteer events are scheduled next week to celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
“When Martin Luther King Day was established, Coretta Scott King, his widow, asked that the day be observed with ‘a day on, not a day off,’” said Rikki Smith, service-learning coordinator for the Resource Development Center at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin. “Dr. King believed that we build a beloved community through service to our neighbors. This is kind of our way to bring that about in our community.”
The following events will take place Monday:
• Twelfth annual MLK Celebration Breakfast, 7 to 8 a.m., Connor Ballroom, Billingsly Student Center, MSSU. Bernard Franklin is the keynote speaker. Tickets are available at the MSSU ticket office for $3.25.
• “Portrait of a Dream” public art project, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., various locations on the MSSU campus. The project will collect self-portraits from participants to be displayed digitally on campus in the Lion’s Den. To participate, people may look for volunteers with notecards and black markers.
• Stars of Hope, 9 a.m. to noon, MSSU Oval and the Lion’s Den inside Billingsly Student Center. Volunteers will paint 100 small wooden Stars of Hope to be sent to survivors of Hurricane Sandy.
• Lecture by Bernard Franklin, 11 a.m., Corley Auditorium, Webster Hall, MSSU. His lecture will serve as a follow-up from the breakfast’s keynote address.
• Volunteer rally, 1 p.m., first floor lounge, Billingsly Student Center, for reflection on King’s legacy with other volunteers.
• MLK Day of Service with Rebuild Joplin, 2 to 5 p.m., location to be announced. Volunteers will help with rebuilding and tornado recovery efforts. Registration with Rebuild Joplin is mandatory.
• Stars of Hope party, 5 to 9 p.m., McAlister’s Deli, 2330 S. Range Line Road, Joplin. A portion of the night’s proceeds will be donated to the Stars of Hope project. Stars also may be sponsored for $10 each or $20 for three.
• Emergency preparedness workshop, 7 to 9 p.m., Connor Ballroom, Billingsly Student Center. The free workshop is jointly presented by MSSU and Crowder College.
Elsewhere, George Washington Carver National Monument near Diamond will show a 45-minute video of King’s speeches at 1 p.m. Saturday through Monday. Information: 417-325-4151.
Myrtle Lodge No. 149 will be the host for a Martin Luther King Jr. parade in Joplin beginning at noon Saturday, Jan. 26. The parade will head west on Langston Hughes-Broadway from St. Louis Avenue, turn south on School Avenue and end at Ewert Park. Refreshments will be provided.
MSSU also will participate in the MLK National Food Drive. Volunteers are being asked to take canned goods to any of the MLK events on campus next week.
The public may take canned goods to the Saturday, Jan. 26, MSSU men’s basketball game at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. Those who contribute will receive $1 off their ticket to the game.
A full list of events and registration forms may be found at mssu.edu on the MLK Day of Service page.
Information: MSSU Resource Development Center, 417-625-3521.
Rebuild Joplin
IN HONOR OF Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Rebuild Joplin will be the host for a “24-hour build” from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Monday, with volunteer opportunities available in six four-hour blocks during the day. In conjunction with this, the St. Bernard Project — Rebuild Joplin’s parent organization — will be the host for a disaster recovery weekend in New York City and Long Island, N.Y., and a 24-hour build in New Orleans. To volunteer in Joplin, people may email volunteer@rebuildjoplin.org.
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