Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. With 41st Annual Community Breakfast

亚洲博彩网站hosted the 41stAnnual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Breakfastin conjunction withQuinsigamond Community College(QCC)on Monday, honoring the life and legacy of Dr. King.
Each year, the MLK Breakfast Committeeorganizesinspirational musical selections, a keynote speaker,and various awards and scholarshipsgivento members of the community.
TheMaster of Ceremonies for this year’s breakfast wasDeborah Hall,Chief Executive Officer of the YWCA Central Massachusetts.An invocation was given by Rabbi Valerie Cohen of Temple Emmanuel Sinai, and the attendees at the breakfast were greeted by avarietyof prominent Worcester community figures, including Congressman James P. McGovern,State Senator Robyn Kennedy ’03,Mayor of Worcester Joseph M. Petty,QCC PresidentLuis G. Pedraja, and亚洲博彩网站 President Greg Weiner.
“Dr. King’s legacy resonates deeply with our mission. He called multitudes to cultivatethe common goodnot despitetheir differences, but because of them,”Weiner said in his remarks. “At 亚洲博彩网站, we honor that legacy by fostering a vision of civic friendship in which our differences are productive becausethey are rootedin a shared purpose: the pursuit of truth in the company of friends.
“Dr. King knew that truth cannot be pursued alone. Neither is the pursuit of justice a solitary activity. Bothrequirethevirtues亚洲博彩网站 students know are essential toeducation: the courage of prophets, the humility of learners, and the charity of neighbors,” Weiner continued.
Multiple awards, including scholarships for studentspursuing post-secondary education, the Eleanor T. Hawley Community Service Award, and the Worcester Fire Department Lt. Herbert A. Wilson Achievement Award, were also presented.Since 1986,the MLK Community Breakfasthas awardedover$200,000 in scholarshipsto students from Worcesterand the surrounding areas.
The keynote speaker at this year’s event was Dr. Jennifer Davis Carey,former Executive Director ofthe Worcester Education Collaborative.She is an artist and a veteran educator, havingworked in boththeK-12 and higher educationsectors. She served asDirector of Minority Recruitment at bothHarvard and Radcliffe Colleges and thenservedthe Commonwealth of Massachusetts in multiple senior positions until taking her role as Executive Director in 2010.
The Worcester Area Mission Society and United Congregational Church encouraged attendees to bring books about Dr. King to the Breakfast so they could be donated to second- and third-grade students attending Worcester and Fitchburg public schools.
Other organizations, including the YMCA and Empowering People for Inclusive Communities (EPIC), were also in attendance, seeking volunteers for community service projects in Worcester County.Thebreakfastincludes these opportunities to help keep the legacy of Dr. King alive throughout the year.