Local Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration includes several events

Jan. 5—Monday, Jan. 15, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which honors the life of the civil rights leader on what would have been his 95th birthday.

Dalton will have no shortage of activities leading up to and on the federal holiday, said Tom Pinson, manager of the Mack Gaston Community Center.

From Jan. 13-15 the Whitfield County chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Martin Luther King Jr. Committee will jointly host the 2024 MLK Celebration with several events available to the public.

On Saturday, Jan. 13, the Mack Gaston Community Center at 218 N. Fredrick St. will host both a Day of Service at 9 a.m. and an MLK banquet at 6 p.m.

The Day of Service is "where people in the community come together, including the NAACP, Woman's Community Club, Concerned Citizens (of Whitfield and Murray County) and any other volunteers," said Pinson.

Pinson said that morning, with weather permitting, the plan is to clean Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard "from (North) Glenwood Avenue all the way up to (East) Walnut Avenue," which is done in conjunction with Dalton Public Works.

"What we normally do is get some of the local churches, and kids from Christian Heritage (School), and everybody kind of cleans their own area up on MLK (Boulevard)," he said. "It starts here at the community center, everybody gets their vests and gloves and they get instructions on where to go. It's for young and old; everybody is invited to be a part of that."

H. Beecher Hicks III, the president and CEO of the National Black MBA Association in Atlanta, will be the keynote speaker during the banquet.

"Tickets will be $30 to attend," said NAACP Dalton-Whitfield President Marisa Kelley.

Tickets can be purchased at the community center or by contacting Kelley at (913) 426-7870.

An ecumenical service hosted by the Concerned Clergy of Greater Whitfield County will be at True Gospel Pentecostal Church (109 Henderson St.) on Sunday, Jan. 14, said Elder Detria Smith, president of the Concerned Clergy.

"The guest speaker will be Corey Prather out of Citadel of Faith in Chattanooga, Tennessee," Smith said. "Services will start at 4 p.m."

Pinson said on Monday, MLK Jr. Day, at 9 a.m. a wreath laying ceremony will take place at the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial at the intersection of MLK Jr. Boulevard and East Walnut Avenue.

"During the ceremony, our newly-elected mayor Annalee Harlan (Sams) is going to be the speaker for that event," he said.

The ceremony will be followed by a Prayer Breakfast at the community center at 10 a.m., where the guest speaker will be Pastor Edward Hoggs of Shiloh Baptist Church.

"After the prayer breakfast, there's going to be a Health Fair here at the community center from 11 (a.m.) to 1 (p.m.)," Pinson said.

During the Health Fair, tables will be set up inside the center by individuals representing Hamilton Medical Center, Foundation Direct (Family Care), the DEO Clinic, CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) Georgia, Georgia HOPE, Highland Rivers (Behavioral Health) and Community Hospice.

"CORE will have flu shots and COVID(-19) shots available, and each table will have information on these organizations," Pinson said. "The DEO Clinic is also going to be doing blood pressure and blood sugar tests."

Pinson said the celebration will end with youth activities inside both of the community center's gyms from noon to 2 p.m. on Jan. 15.

"There will be games in one gym and in the other gym there is going to be a mini-basketball clinic for ages 8 to 15," he said. "They'll go through drills and play some games against each other."