Events in and around Salem honor, celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2024

Organizations and groups in the Mid-Valley will host Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations throughout January, honoring the civil rights activist's life and legacy.

Here are 2024 events commemorating King's life around the Mid-Valley.

Salem-Keizer NAACP, American Red Cross partner for blood drive

Salem-Keizer's NAACP branch will host a blood drive with the American Red Cross at the Salem Donor Center, at 1860 Hawthorne Ave. NE, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 15.

Potential donors can schedule an appointment in advance of the blood drive via their website www.redcross.org/local/oregon.

Although walk-ins are available, Stephen Grady, a Salem account manager for the American Red Cross, suggests making an appointment.

"When you make an appointment, you can choose to donate platelets, blood, or power red," Grady told the Statesman Journal.

A Power Red donation, as defined by the American Red Cross, is a process where only red blood cells are taken, and the plasma and platelets are returned back to the donor.

There are different requirements for power red donations — only people with O-positive, O-negative, A-negative and B-negative blood types can donate this way.

"There's an ongoing need for blood on a daily basis, and we're feeling that need," Grady said.

"We're struggling to fulfill our hospital orders over here so every donation really counts."

For more information, visit sknaacp1166.org.

Silverton Grange and People for Peace 22nd annual observance

The Silverton Grange and Silverton People for Peace hosts a memorial observance and a community potluck beginning at 6 p.m. on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Portland community and union organizer Bryan Lewis will speak on "A Moral Revival and a Poor and Working People's Agenda for a Better Oregon." There also will be readings, sing-a-longs and a community potluck.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

For more information, visit www.silvertongrange.org.

Chemeketa Community College and Salem-Keizer NAACP

The Salem-Keizer NAACP and Chemeketa Community College invite the public to learn about Dr. King's life on Wednesday from 1-3 p.m. in Room 179 of the Student Center at 4000 Lancaster Drive NE., Building 2. The event also will be live-streamed.

The theme is "love, truth, and firmness," said guest speaker, Chemeketa Community College history professor Taylor Marrow III.

"In the face of violence and oppression, the commitment to non-violence is the way to fight it," Marrow said.

For more information, visit www.sknaacp1166.org.

Fee-free outdoor spots for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

The Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service will waive many fees on Monday, Jan. 15.

The Bureau of Land Management waived day-use fees at these locations:

• Alsea Falls Recreation Site

• Hyatt Lake Recreation Area

• Gerber Recreation Area

• Sandy Ridge Trail System

• Shotgun Creek Recreation Site

• Spring Recreation Site

• Wildwood Recreation Site

• Yakima River Canyon

• Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area

For more information, visit: https://www.blm.gov/visit.

The Forest Service will waive most recreation day use fees for national forests in Oregon in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Most trailheads, picnic areas, boat launches and visitor centers will have free entry.

Locations include:

• Willamette National Forest

• Deschutes National Forest

• Siuslaw National Forest

• Umatilla National Forest

Camping, cabin rentals and permit fees still apply.

For more information, visit: the Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Forest Area Map.

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Christian Willbern at cwillbern@statesmanjournal.com

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2024 events around Salem, Oregon