Following the tradition of past years, Montgomery County will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday with two major events on Monday, January 19 – the Day of Service and the annual birthday tribute.Day of Service activities will take place at several sites throughout the County. Locations, times and registration information can be found at www.montgomeryserves.org/mlk-day-service-2015.
The Volunteer Center will coordinate indoor, family-friendly service projects from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, 5701 Marinelli Rd. Other sites with multiple service projects for all ages include the Seneca Creek Community Church located at 13 Firstfield Rd. in Gaithersburg, from 9 to 11 a.m.; and the Silver Spring Civic Building, One Veterans Place, from 10 a.m. to noon. The locations will also be collection sites for non-perishable food donations for the Manna Food Center. In addition, the Bethesda Marriott and Silver Spring locations will accept new and gently used sleeping bags, blankets and new socks for the homeless.
As part of another Day of Service project, Montgomery Parks, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), will hold volunteer park and stream cleanups and non-native invasive plant removal projects throughout the weekend of January 17 to 20 at parks around the County.
Student Service Learning (SSL) hours are available at all of the volunteer events. Gloves and bags will be provided at all events and volunteers are encouraged to wear sturdy closed toe shoes and long sleeves and pants. Volunteers under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
Details on dates, times and locations of cleanups, as well as how to sign up are available at www.MontgomeryParks.org/MLK.
Montgomery County’s celebration continues with the annual birthday tribute in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. held at the Music Center at Strathmore at 3:30 p.m. The free event will feature local artists, and the master of ceremonies will be WJLA News Anchor Leon Harris.
Tickets (free) are required and can be reserved at www.strathmore.org. For anyone unable to secure advanced tickets, a standby line will form outside the Music Center at 2:30 p.m. on the 19th; unclaimed tickets will be released to the public at 3:15 p.m. See more in news release.
