Mount Mercy hosts celebration ceremony for MLK Day of Service

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (January 13, 2012) –Mount Mercy University will proudly host the 2012 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day opening ceremony on Monday, January 16 at 8:30 a.m. in Hennessey Recreation Center on Mount Mercy's campus. Community members are welcome to attend as the Cedar Rapids and surrounding areas kick off a community-wide day of service. Breakfast will be offered at 8:00 a.m. prior to the ceremony.

The opening ceremony will include guest speakers Mayor Ron Corbett and Mount Mercy President Christopher Blake, and showcase inspirational messages and music as MLK Day volunteers, students and community members come together and remember the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. After the ceremony, teams will spread out into the community for service projects.

How YOU can help

Come to the Kick-Off: The day will start with a kick-off at 8:30 a.m. on January 16 at Mount Mercy University's Hennessey Recreation Center. Volunteers and community members are invited to re-live the inspiring words of Dr. King and hear performances which will inspire their own day of service.

Volunteer: All service projects for the 2012 MLK Day of Service are listed at www.unitedwayofeastcentraliowa.org. To browse volunteer opportunities, click MLK Day of Service Projects. Register for the project of your choice and the volunteer coordinator will contact you to confirm project details.

Participate in the food drive: Hunger knows every season. Many food pantries in our area receive food donations before the winter holidays, but suffer with the post-holiday drop-off.  You may drop off non-perishable food items at Mount Mercy University's Chapel of Mercy (1330 Elmhurst Dr. NE, Cedar Rapids) or St. Wenceslaus Church's donation site (1224 5th St. SE) on January 16.

The MLK Day of Service is a combined effort of several community agencies and organizations. The planning committee is made up of representatives from the following non-profits and higher education institutions: Coe College, Community Corrections Improvement Association (AmeriCorps VISTA), Mount Mercy University, Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, United Way of East Central Iowa.

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