MLK Day Commemorates Its 20th Celebration In Lake Worth
A full slate of activities will be held this year in Lake Worth in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, January 20th under the theme, Twenty Years of Making the Dream Real. MLK Day Festivities were first organized in Lake Worth in 1995 through the cooperation of then-Mayor Rodney Romano and newly elected city commissioner Retha Lowe. The neighborhood group, Citizens on Task (COT), played a vital role in mobilizing community support.
This year’s celebration will begin at St. Andrews Lutheran Church, 10th Avenue South and E Street with an interfaith prayer breakfast from 7:30 – 9 AM. In addition honoring Dr. King with prayer and choir performances, founding members of COT will share their recollections.
The annual Candlelight March through downtown Lake Worth will follow at 5 PM as participants gather at City Hall and parade down Lake Avenue to the MLK “Ball” Memorial. Included will be young and old; veterans of the civil rights movement as well as a multitude of church and school groups. A brief commemorative program at the Memorial will recognize the progress that the City of Lake Worth has made over its 100 year history toward fulfillment of Dr. King’s Dream.
Following the March, a Fellowship Dinner is planned at First Baptist Church. The church is located at Second Ave. South and M Street, just a block south of the Memorial. Light entertainment is planned. The free dinner will provide an opportunity for warm fellowship across religious and racial lines in the spirit of Dr. King. Sponsoring religious and civic organizations will provide the food and beverages. Members of the general public are invited to help with the dinner preparations which will begin at First Baptist at 4 PM or to contribute a side dish or a dessert.
Dr. King’s Dream encompassed the hopes and dreams of all Americans. Members of every racial, religious and ethnic group in Palm Beach County are invited to join Lake Worth residents in their celebration of the diversity of our community. All events are free of charge to the public, sponsored by the City of Lake Worth, Kiwanis Club, Lake Worth Interfaith Network and the Lake Worth MLK Committee.