Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. March starts at Alameda Park Jan. 13.
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The annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day March organized by local Martin Luther King Jr. organization will be held on Saturday, Jan. 13 in Alamogordo.
Here's what to know if you plan to attend.
MLK Jr. Day march route
The MLK Jr. March will begin at 1 p.m. and will start at the Alameda Park near the Toy Train Depot.
“Attendees will march down White Sands Blvd. to the Airborne Monument on the corner of White Sands Blvd. and 10th St.,” said Communications and Marketing Specialist Luke Haines.
The march will pause at the Airborn Monument then continue back to North Alameda Park.
The march is free and open to the public, which is invited to attend. Good walking shoes are recommended.
More: ‘Tell ’em about the dream, Martin!’: Memories from the crowd at MLK’s March on Washington
Speakers to mark MLK Day celebration in Alamogordo
A series of speakers and performances are scheduled during the march's pause at Airborne Monument.
City commissioner Sharon McDonald will deliver an opening statement and Mayor Susan Payne will issue a proclamation.
“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a strong leader and his passion and service should never be forgotten. I appreciate the opportunity to recognize the observance of this day with a proclamation from the City of Alamogordo Executive Offices,” Payne said. “I encourage all citizens to take a moment to reflect on the importance of recognizing those times in history that have made such a lasting impact on our country future generations.”
60 years later: MLK’s ‘I have a dream’ speech looms large
McDonald said she was listening to Mr. King's speech recently and quoted him:
"If you want to be important, wonderful, if you want to be great, wonderful. Then take on the heart of a servant and serve, because everyone can serve, therefore, everyone can be great − This is from a man with great accomplishments and gifts for humanity. His legacy was and is to be of service for humanity," McDonald said.
Performances from singer Sybil Bickham, the Mexican Beauty Folklorico dancers and Chris Rollerson are also scheduled.
Organizer Chris Rollerson said the march honors not only MLK Jr. but the work he accomplished and strived for.
"Originally we began the MLK group about 20 or so years ago," Rollerson said. "But we first started with a youth group. I first got together a youth group to teach and keep the dream going."
Rollerson said the actual march did not begin until three years ago. He said the march was first run by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and was hosted at the Boys and Girls Club of Otero County.
He said once the decision was made to hand the reigns over to him in 2022, he decided it would be best to have the march at Alameda Park to attract more residents.
"We wanted to move the march to Alameda Park so we can get the community together and really show them what the meaning of this is about," he said.
Rollerson said after the performances at the Airborne Monument and the March is over, everyone gathers back at Alameda Park, where drinks and hot dogs will be served.
"We just want people to come out and be a part of this great occasion. Like I said, this is a great chance for us to come together as a community and do better regardless of our race, nationality or religion," Rollerson said. "We used to have a lot of youth and kids involved so that's my goal. We want to try and get back to that."
For more information, residents can visit the City of Alamogordo’s Facebook page where any updates to the March will be provided.
Juan Corral can be reached at JCorral@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter at @Juan36Corr.
This article originally appeared on Alamogordo Daily News: MLK Jr. Day March scheduled for Jan. 13 in Alamogordo
