Hundreds Gather To Honor Martin Luther KingWINONA LAKE - Hundreds of local residents remembered Martin Luther King Jr. Monday.
The Committee to Commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. held its 23rd annual ceremony Monday at Rodeheaver Auditorium, Winona Lake.
The program included a luncheon, catered by Golden Corral, and a quiz bowl competition on the history of King.
Boy Scout Troop 715 led attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Joe Banks, Committee to Commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. chairman, emceed the program.
Also during the ceremony, winners of the 2011 Academic Excellence and Community Service Awards were recognized and received $1,000 each and a plaque.
The awards were presented by Tom Kline, Warsaw Community Schools chief accountability officer.
Richard Feng was one of the award recipients. Feng's mother, Jonnie, accepted the award on behalf of her son, who was unable to attend.
Richard is currently a freshman pharmacy major at Purdue University.
He has been an active member of the community and clubs including National Honor Society, Key Club, Latin Club, Mathletes, Blitz, Tennis, library volunteer and performed community service at Our Father's House and Combined Community Services.
Celeste Harris was the other award recipient.
Her mother, Lachelle, accepted the award on behalf of Celeste, who was unable to attend.
Celeste is a freshman media communications major at Taylor University.
She has been an active member of the community and clubs including choir, theater, spell bowl, freshman mentor, yearbook staff member, church vacation Bible school, youth group, youth band, short-term mission trips and volunteered at Our Father's House.
She plans to pursue study in mediation communication with concentration in writing and photography, and plans to become a magazine journalist.
There was a quiz bowl during the program.
Eighth-graders from Edgewood and Lakeview middle schools and Lakeland Christian Academy researched the history of the four eras of King's ministry: The Montgomery Bus Boycott, The 1963 March on Washington, The Selma To Montgomery March in 1965 and The Memphis Crusade of 1968.
Each school that participated received $500, and the winning school of the quiz bowl received $1,000 for their school.
Judges for the quiz bowl were Margaret Mauzy, former teacher at Marion High School; Dr. Ronald Manahan, Grace College and Seminary president; and Ernie Wiggins, Warsaw mayor.
First place went to Edgewood Middle School, who received six points. Quiz bowl participants Thomas Schroeder, Sam Allbritten and Andrew Scheidt received a wireless mouse and mouse pad.
Second place went to Lakeview Middle School, who received three points. Participants included Jake Mangas, Grant Monsma, Jesse Boal, Caleb Klusman and Sarah Donley. The Lakeview students received a $12 cash reward from Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home.
Third place went to Lakeland Christian Academy, who received two points. Each of the Lakeland students received a $10 debit card from Ot Schroeder, State Farm Insurance. Lakeland participants were Landon Buller, Paige Price, Nathan Gross and Drew Nieveen.
