Monroe, NC – Union County’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Committee, a nonprofit 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization, is sponsoring a number of festivities for the MLK National Holiday, beginning January 14 and continuing through January 16.
The highlight of the weekend, and the Committee’s major fundraiser, is the 29th annual MLK Prayer Breakfast on Monday, January 16, at Wingate University’s LaVerne Banquet Hall.
The Reverend Donnie Garris, senior pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Charlotte, is the keynote speaker for this 6:00AM event that is a sell-out each year.
The 4th Annual MLK Talent Competition, a fun-filled and wholesome festivity for area youth, takes place later on Monday at Monroe’s Winchester Center Gymnasium and Bazemore Center.
Groups and solo singers and dancers are invited to compete for prizes at this free event, which is open to all area students.
Registration begins at 11:30 AM.
Raleigh’s The Magic of African Rhythm will give a special performance demonstrating their form of artistic expression—ngoma, the blending of all the art forms into an organic whole.
This performance is sponsored by the Union County Community Arts Council and the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources in conjunction with the MLK Committee.
Other scheduled events include the 19th annual Community Gospel Songfest (also free), which begins at 6:00 PM Saturday at Mt. Calvary AME Zion Church (800 LaSalle Street in Monroe), and a 6:00 PM interdenominational worship service on Sunday at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Monroe. Both events are open to the public.
The public is encouraged to come to downtown Monroe at 3:00 PM on Sunday to observe the MLK Holiday Parade. Various floats, marching units, and other vehicles are expected to participate.
Each spring the MLK Committee awards scholarships to high school seniors for the college or technical institute of their choice.
All proceeds from the Prayer Breakfast and other fundraising efforts go toward providing these scholarships and funding the youth talent competition.
For information on any of the events or on the MLK Committee itself, call 704-289-1906.
2012 Monroe Scoop
