General

MLK Day Events: Book and Food Drive; Rally and March; Youth March for Peace

Monday, 17 January 2005
All day

Organizer: Community Coalition

Local Coalition Invites Community to Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr.'s Birthday

A coalition of local organizations invite the entire community to
honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by joining in
activities that promote peace, equality and social justice on Monday,
January 17th. The family of Dr. King has spent the past 10 years
promoting the idea of people commemorating the holiday by engaging in
community service activities - making his birthday a "Day on, not a
Day off".

The YouthSERVE Program, Youth Coalition Santa Cruz and the National
Coalition Building Institute are sponsoring these activities to honor
the memory of Dr. King.

10 am to 5 pm - Food and Book Drive
YouthSERVE is collecting nonperishable food to help feed local
families in need and new or used books to be used in the local Jail
Literacy Project. Donations can be brought to the Boys and Girls
Club at 543 Center Street in Santa Cruz. "We believe that helping to
put food on the table of a hungry family or providing reading
material to help educate someone in jail are perfect examples of
things that bring us one step closer to Dr. King's dream of an
equitable, just society" notes Volunteer Center Director Karen
Delaney. YouthSERVE hopes to collect 1,000 books for Friends Outside
and 10,000 pounds of food for Second Harvest Food Bank between Dr,
Kings' Brithday next Monday and Cesar Chavez day in March.
Collection boxes for food and books will also be available at the
rally and march. For more information, call Krista at 427-5070

12:00 - Rally and March - Let There Be Peace And Let It Begin With Me
Local activist Pat Clark and the National Coalition Building
Institute are sponsoring a rally at the town clock, followed by a
silent march to the Louden Nelson Center. Pat Clark, former NAACP
President and one of the local organizers, hopes that people will use
part of their holiday to help spread Dr. King's message of hope,
equality, compassion and peace. "People think of Dr. King saying "I
have a Dream". We want people to remember that Dr. King was also an
advocate for ending poverty, promoting peace and taking personal
responsibility for making the world a better place. Participants are
encouraged to bring donations for the food and book drive.

1:00 - Youth March for Peace
Youth Coalition of Santa Cruz is inviting youth to gather at Holy
Cross Park for a peace march to the town clock, where they will join
the silent march to Louden Nelson Center. Youth are encouraged to
bring signs that support Dr. King's message of equality, peace and
non-violence.

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Location:
Santa Cruz