MLK Day to be Celebrated with Day of Service

COLUMBIA, Ky. -- The Lindsey Wilson College community will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day by taking part in a national day of service -- and area high school juniors and seniors are invited to participate.

LWC offices are closed on Monday, Jan. 17, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but several events will be held on the college's A.P. White Campus.

Area high school seniors and juniors are invited to join Lindsey Wilson faculty, staff and students who will perform service projects at various non-profit organizations in Columbia-Adair County.

"Martin Luther King Jr.'s life was about ensuring justice for all, and one of the ways we can help build a more just society is to serve others on this day," said Amy Thompson-Wells, LWC director of civic engagement, director of student leadership and co-director of the Bonner Leader Program. "Because the area's high school students already have the day off, we wanted to extend this opportunity to serve others to them as well."

LWC's MLK activities -- which get under way at 9 a.m. CT on Monday, Jan. 17 -- will be part of a nationwide Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service, which is a partnership between businesses, nonprofit organizations and educational institutions.

In addition to the service projects in Columbia-Adair County, Lindsey Wilson's celebration of the day will include a talk about the life of Martin Luther King Jr. as well as a brief history of the national holiday.

"It's been more than 40 years since Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, and this year will be the silver anniversary of when Martin Luther King Jr. Day was first commemorated as a federal holiday," Thompson-Wells said. "So we also wanted to use the day to remind people how far we have come as a country in creating a more just society for all." 

Following the service projects, members of the Lindsey Wilson Bonner Leaders Program will talk about their ongoing service projects and also discuss ways high school students can make a difference in their home communities through service. The day will conclude by 1 p.m. CT.

For more information about Lindsey Wilson's celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, contact Amy Thompson-Wells at thompsoa@lindsey.edu or (270) 384-8689.