Social justice activists brave the cold snowy weather for the 2012 Martin Luther King Jr. Day March.
“A day on, not a day off” is this year’s theme for the MLK Day of Service that will kick off the Martin Luther King, Jr. Days of Dialogue, Monday.
The MLK National Day of Service will go from 1 to 3:30 p.m. in the lower level of the Union. During this time, there will be a variety of service projects for participants to choose from.
The MLK Day of Service is open to all including students, faculty and staff, and members of the community.
The march will begin at 4 p.m. and go from the Albany County Courthouse to the Wyoming Union. The Willena Stanford Supper will start at 4:45 p.m. in the Wyoming Union Ballroom along with performances and a few speakers that will finish off the event.
Volunteer opportunities will focus on the environment, youth, health, hunger and poverty. Participants can serve on any program that they choose.
Many student and community groups have set up 17 different service programs. Some volunteering options include tying fleece blankets for newborns and children, writing letters to U.S. troops, helping clean up at the cemetery, and working at the recycling center.
“Most people get this day off to observe Martin Luther King and we say make it a day on, not a day off. The best way to remember him is to serve your community and to serve others,” Sagan Hunsaker project coordinator for the Service, Leadership and Community Engagement office, said.
Hunsaker also sponsors the service days with AmeriCorps and The Greater Wyoming Big Brothers Big Sisters program. The MLK Day of Service receives the greatest turnout of all UW’s service days, Hunsaker said.
Aside from the MLK Day of Service event, over a dozen other programs will take place throughout next week.
The MLK Days of Dialogue theme this year is to “Mind the Gap.”
The weeklong event filled with dozens of activities honoring and remembering Martin Luther King, Jr. showcases UW’s efforts in making this campus welcoming to all regardless of ethnicity, background, or heritage.
Some of these events include Tuesday’s History of Wyoming Civil Rights which provides a free lunch from Pita Pit, Wednesday’s Mystical Arts of Tibet: Mandala Community Sand Painting presented by the Student Activities Center, and Keynote Speaker and Performer Vy Higginsen on Thursday.
Friday Night Fever also has joined forces with the MLK Days of Dialogue as next Friday’s event will be the Mystical Arts of Tibet: “Sacred Music Sacred Dance” at 9 p.m. in the Arts and Sciences Auditorium.
A full list of events with specific times and locations can be viewed at http://www.mlkdod.com/ under the schedule tab.
