Committee To Commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Marks 25 Years
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Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
WINONA LAKE – Hundreds of community leaders and residents gathered Monday to commemorate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Committee to Commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. held its 25th annual ceremony at the Orthopedic Capital Center in Winona Lake. The program was titled “Remembering The Dream, Kosciusko County’s Silver Anniversary Program: A 25 Year Stroll Down Memory Lane.” Pioneers who helped establish and grow the committee over the years were featured. Some of the programs and entertainment presented during the past 25 years were highlighted. A free lunch was provided during the ceremony. American Legion Post 49 Honor Guard presented the colors. The founders of the Committee To Commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were Joe Banks, Lynn Pulliam and Durel Hoskins. The first program in 1988 was at the Kosciusko County Shrine Building and was formulated with the intent of getting a few minority families together for a carry-in dinner to honor Dr. King on his upcoming birthday. The program speakers in 1988 were then Mayor Jeff Plank and city councilman Bob Richmond. Plank spoke during Monday’s ceremony. Plank said King was first a man of God, second an American, and third a black American. “Dr. King loved this country and understood the meaning of community spirit and was not concerned with his fame,” Plank said. Dr. Craig Hintz, Warsaw Community Schools superintendent, presented an Academic Excellence Award to Michelle Feng. The award sponsored by DePuy is presented to individuals for their dedication to community and keeping Martin Luther King Jr.’s name alive. Feng, a freshman biology major at Indiana University, received a plaque and a $1,000 scholarship. She is a 2012 Warsaw Community High School graduate. Feng spoke about the importance of King. She said before King, schools offered limited opportunities due to legal segregation and common prejudices at the time. Feng said King changed that. “I owe so much more than I can ever sum up in such a short timeframe because both my past and future are and always have been established with Martin Luther King Jr.’s impact,” Feng said. Through his civil rights demonstrations, Feng said King helped advance the opportunities and welfare of the nation. “Not only did these help to improve the freedom of Dr. King’s own race but also all other minorities of that time and day,” Feng said. Marika Bolden, of Warsaw, also was a recipient of the Academic Excellence Award. Bolden was unable to attend Monday’s program. Bolden is a 2012 WCHS graduate, and currently is a freshman at the University of Indianapolis majoring in English and teaching. Featured entertainment during Monday’s ceremony included Marshall White and The World Champion Voices of Unity Choir from New Life Church, Dr. JB Pressey, former president of the Martin Luther King program in Fort Wayne, and Barbara Blevins, of the Blevin Sisters gospel choir.
