MLK Celebration Dinner set for Monday

ALBANY — The 16th annual King Day Celebration, postponed after damaging and deadly storms rolled through Dougherty County and Southwest Georgia last month, will be held Monday at 5 p.m., at the HPER Gymnasium on the East Campus of Albany State University.

The event, which is the largest fundraiser for the Albany Civil Rights Institute, is usually held at the Albany Civic Center. It was moved to the Albany State campus because of a scheduling conflict.

Second U.S. House of Representatives District Congressman Sanford Bishop Jr., D-Albany, is the keynote speaker for the rescheduled celebration.

“I am excited and humbled to be speaking at this year’s annual King Day Celebration in Albany,” Bishop said. “This event serves as a moment of reflection on Dr. King’s tireless work to advance the rights of all Americans. Throughout his years in the public eye, Dr. King challenged every American to stand up for the things that are good and great about our country, to be ready, always, to defend her against those who would trample on the bedrock principles of freedom and justice for all, whether threatened from abroad or at home.”

Last year’s King Day Dinner raised $10,000 for the ACRI.

Late last month, the Civil Rights Institute officials held a news conference to announce that one-half of the proceeds of the rescheduled MLK Day Dinner will be donated to the Dougherty County School System’s school relief fund.

The school system’s Ken Dyer said so far the relief effort has generated $10,000 in cash and commitments. The funds will be used to purchase school supplies for the system’s nearly 15,000 students affected by the storms.

The celebration was originally set for early January but was rescheduled after two storms in less that three weeks swept through the county.

“This celebration is meant to commemorate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” ACRI Executive Director Frank Wilson said Saturday. “Unfortunately, the storms delayed the celebration. Dr. King was above and beyond being a civil rights worker. He stood for the rights of all people.”