Many events to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.

Here are some events related to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday:

- The Hefner VA Medical Center will host a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 16, in the Social Room of Building 6, 1601 Brenner Ave.

The program of remembrance and celebration features keynote speaker Dr. Bryant Norman Jr., president of the Salisbury NAACP.

This year's theme is "Thus Far By Faith." Dr. Grant Harrison, pastor of Soldiers Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church will be the soloist.

- The Hefner VA Medical Center celebration also includes an essay contest addressing the topics: "40 Years — How Much of his Dream has been Realized?"; "A Dream Come True"; and "Keeping the Dream Alive."

Winning essays will be read at 6 p.m. Monday in the Chapel, Building 19.

For more information on both VA events, contact Chaplain Ethel Bamberg-Revis at 704- 638-3330.

- Bethel Baptist Church at 1209 Opal St., Kannapolis, will be host for a Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Prayer Breakfast focusing on Rowan-Cabarrus County community leaders. The annual breakfast is at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17. Tickets are $10.

- Franklin McCain, a retired executive of Celanese Corp. and president of the N.C. A&T University Board of Trustees, will be the speaker for the annual Davie County NAACP Martin Luther King Jr. Comunity Service Saturday, Jan. 17.

The 1 p.m. service is preceded by a gathering at Town Square and a march starting at 12:30 p.m. and going to Shiloh Baptist Church, 544 E. Depot St., where McCain will be speaking.

The community service is open to the public. McCain was one of the four A&T freshmen who staged a sit-in at the Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro on Feb. 1, 1960.

- The 32nd Annual Humanitarian Awards will take place at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 1920 Shirley Ave., at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18. For more information, contact the church at 704-637-0954.

- The annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Breakfast, organized by the Salisbury-Rowan Human Relations Council and sponsored by Food Lion, will be held at 7:30 a.m. Jan. 19 at The Event Center, located on the campus of Cornerstone Church, 315 Webb Road, Salisbury. (See story above.)

Guest speaker will be Sara White, widow of National Football League star Reggie White. Cost is $7 per person. Breakfast is served at 7:30 a.m., and the program begins at 8 a.m.

- The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Parade will begin on Main Street in Salisbury at 11 a.m. Jan. 19 and proceed to the Livingstone College campus on West Monroe Street. Registration deadline for the parade is Monday, and there is no parade entry fee.

Interested parties should contact Terri Stevenson at 704-216-6272 for more information. The parade is scheduled to conclude by 12:30 pm.

- Fill That Bus! Residents at Trinity Oaks in Salisbury and other Lutheran Services Association entities will be conducting an all-day food drive Jan. 19 for Rowan Helping Ministries in honor of King and the Jan. 20 inauguration of Barack Obama. (See story, D3)

- Livingstone College will host a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration called "In the Spirit of Unity and Service: Remember! Celebrate! Act!" at 2 p.m. Jan. 19 at the college's Tubman Theatre.

For more information regarding this afternoon celebration, contact Terri Stevenson at 704-216-6272.

- To celebrate and commemorate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his notable legacy of service and civic action, Pfeiffer University will sponsor a day of service on Jan. 21, followed by its 12th annual Servant Leadership Week held Jan. 25-31. (See story, D3.)