HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL NR 2019-01-02 MLK celebration
Town of Leesburg
News Release
For Immediate Release
January 2, 2019
Media Contact:
Leah Kosin, Public Information Assistant
lkosin@leesburgva.gov 703-771-2781
27th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Scheduled for
Monday, January 21, 2019
Leesburg, VA (January 2, 2019) –
The Annual Martin Luther King, Jr.
March and Celebration will be held
on Monday, January 21, 2019. The
theme of this year’s celebration is
“Dream,Believe…Act!”, focusing on
the dream of achieving racial
equality and harmony in our
community and nation.
Marchers will gather on the
Loudoun County Courthouse lawn
in downtown Leesburg at 10 a.m.
and will proceed from the
courthouse on East Market Street to the Douglass Community Center (405 East Market Street)
beginning at approximately 10:15 a.m. Individuals, families, churches, and community
organizations are invited to participate and walk together during the march.
East Market Street, from King Street to Church Street, will be closed at 9:30 a.m. in preparation
for the march. Once the march begins, rolling street closures will take place in the eastbound
lanes of East Market Street, from Church Street to the Douglass Community Center, as the
parade proceeds. Drivers should follow police direction and be prepared for minor delays.
Following the march, refreshments will be served at the Douglass Community Center. Musical
performances, presentations, and inspirational offerings will be made by members of the
community, including keynote speaker Mark “The Speaker Man” Wiggins, an international
motivational speaker, trainer, facilitator, and coach.
Wiggins is the author of several books including Permission to Succeed: the only person who
can give it is you, and Success does not need a co-signer. He is also the host of the Off the
Bench with Mark Wiggins Podcast and has more than 25 years of experience in the corporate
and communications industries.
There will also be a community forum offered at Douglass from 9 to 10 a.m. featuring a
dialogue between youth and elders.
Attendees to the Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration are encouraged to participate in a canned
food drive to benefit Loudoun Hunger Relief. This local charity has a special need for
nonperishable meat products. Drop off area for the food drive will be at Dougla ss Community
Center from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The founding sponsors for this event are the Loudoun NAACP, Douglass Alumni Association,
Bluemont Concert Series, and the Baha’i Community of Loudoun. Individuals, families, schools,
businesses, civic and religious organizations are all welcome to participate. For more
information, contact Tammy Carter at 571-331-4721, Kimberly Etherith at 703-314-1491 or Lily
Dunning at 540-539-5651.
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