Harrisburg to honor Dr. Martin Luther King with 11th annual MLK Day of Service

HARRISBURG, PA — Next week we’ll celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King.

While many kids may have off from school, there will still be plenty of opportunity for them to learn thanks to an annual program in the Capital City.

This time next week dozens of organizations will be at Commonwealth Charter Academy Celebrating and taking part in Central Pennsylvania’s 11th annual Martin Luther King Day of Service.

It’s an all ages event and area families are encouraged to bring children to the event that will be stacked with opportunities.

“We’ve been working really hard to make sure that it’s a day of impact,” said Rep. Patty Kim, MLK Day of Service Chairwoman. “What you’ll see here next week is 25 different tables and cultural tables where we can learn about the environment, hands on activities.”

The theme of this year’s MLK Day of Service is “Caring for Our Planet, Caring for Each Other,” which focuses on environmental justice.

“Dr Martin Luther King - how can I put it? The Godfather of environmental justice. This is a piece of him that we are not really familiar with. In order to have civil rights and civil justice, we’ve got to take care of our planet and our earth,” said Rafiyqa Muhammad, Harrisburg Environmental Advisory Council.

The day of service will feature tours of the AgWorks at Commonwealth Charter Academy. Attendees are being encouraged to bring canned goods that could be donated to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank

“One of the significant challenges communities face is food access. What better way to demonstrate to people about food access or growing your own food in a soil-less environment like this,” said Mike Walsh with the MLK Day of Service. “It’s one of the things people who come to the day of service will learn about.”

The ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. and volunteer activities will run through 1 p.m.

The Central Pennsylvania Blood Mobile will also be onsite. Anyone who donates blood will receive two free tickets the PA Auto Show and a Harrisburg Comedy Zone Show.