Join us for The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s (MPRB) annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration on Monday, January 21 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Recreation Center, 4055 Nicollet Ave. S.

The event will be hosted by Newmann Thomas, local youth pastor and Youthline mentor for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. Cobe Williams, a Violence Interrupter for Cease Fire Chicago and subject of the 2011 Award Winning Documentary The Interrupters will give a keynote presentation. The program will also feature a tribute to Dr. King as well as performances from the Twin Cities Community Gospel Choir and SteppingStone theatre.

The MPRB will present its “Living the Dream” award to Jimmy Longoria of Mentoring Peace Through Art for his dedication and commitment to our community.

The celebration will also mark the conclusion of the Fourth Annual “Feeding the Dream” food drive. The food drive takes place at recreation centers throughout the city. Residents are encouraged to drop off non-perishable food items at their local Minneapolis Park Recreation Center. The community service project was initiated in the fall of 2009 and since then more than 7,000 pounds of donations have been collected. This year, all donations will go to the Groveland Food Shelf in Minneapolis.

This year is the first year that handmade knitted items are also being collected in support of the Love Light Project. The Love-Light project supports local teenage victims of commercial sexual exploitation. One can donate crocheted items such as hats, mittens, scarves, and cowls to your local recreation center. These items are then sold and 100 percent of the profits are used to support adolescent victims of commercial sexual exploitation by purchasing items such as bus cards and gift cards for clothing and food. These basic items are very helpful to victims who are trying to escape the lifestyle of prostitution.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to donate. Refreshments will be available following the program. For more information, please visit www.minneapolisparks.org or call 612-230-6479.

In addition to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Recreation Center event, Martin Luther King Celebrations will also be held at Luxton Recreation Center (4-5:30 p.m.) and Powderhorn Recreation Center (11 a.m.-2 p.m.). Special activities and performances are planned, and refreshments will be served at both locations.

For more information about the Luxton Recreation Center event, call 612-370-4925 after 3 p.m. For the Powderhorn Recreation Center event, call 612-370-4960 after 3 p.m.