Marshall Looks Forward to Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service and Celebration

Bex Law, Student Reporter

While Marshall will be closed tomorrow, Jan. 16, the Center for African American Students and the Huntington-Cabell Branch of the NAACP will be hosting the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service and Celebration.

From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. there will be various community service projects, and the event will culminate with the Community Celebration Dinner in the Don Morris Room at 4:30 p.m. The dinner will feature a keynote address by Huntington Police Chief Karl Colder, the first African American to hold that title in the city. 

Community service projects will include a community cleanup, where volunteers will come together to clean, repair and improve public spaces. Such public spaces include 20th Street to 28th Street/Eighth Avenue to 10th Avenue, 12th Street to 20th Street/Eighth Avenue to 10th Avenue, and 12th Street to 20th Street/Doulton Avenue to 12th Avenue. 

There will also be a voters registration and canned food drive as well as a clothing collection and donation drive, where volunteers will assist in organizing and passing out clothing items to those who are in need. 

For participants sixteen and under, there will also be arts and crafts at the A.D. Lewis Community Center located on 1450 AD Lewis Avenue. Volunteers will receive a free lunch at the morning events’ conclusion, also located at the A.D. Lewis Community Center.

Registration is required and available at https://www.marshall.edu/caas/events/. For any questions or concerns, potential participants should contact Shaunte Polk at [email protected] or Charles Meyers at [email protected]. After registration, those who choose to volunteer will be contacted with additional information about their service area, service leader and the Celebration Dinner.