ORLANDO, Fla. – If you’re looking for a way to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday and in the coming days, there are plenty of opportunities across Central Florida.
Already this weekend, thousands have been honoring the civil rights icon’s life and legacy.
Dr. King would have turned 95 this year.
News 6 was at the 40th annual MLK parade in downtown Orlando Saturday morning.
We saw dozens of dance teams, drum lines and so many community organizations making their way down Orange Avenue to Lake Eola Park, all to honor Dr. King.
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Dana Mackey is the president of the Southwest Orlando Jaycees and was Saturday’s parade organizer. He said it’s important to continue fighting for equality for all of us.
“I think the fight is still ongoing. We’re definitely a lot better, but we can get better,” Mackey said. ”We keep the legacy alive so we understand what Dr. King fought for.”
There are MLK parades happening at 10 a.m. Monday in Ocoee, DeLand and Oviedo. Apopka is having its parade at 2 p.m.
There are also a few day-of service events happening on Monday,
Thousands of volunteers will be at the Orange County Convention Center at 9 a.m. to help pack and distribute meals for families across Central Florida.
The city of St. Cloud is also hosting a community clean-up event at 11 a.m. at Hopkins Park.
Meanwhile, the 33rd annual “Pappy” Kennedy Prayer Breakfast kicks off at 7:45 Monday morning. Each year, it brings together more than a thousand community and faith-based leaders, celebrating Dr. King and also Pappy Kennedy who was Orlando’s first Black city council member.
This year’s guest speaker will be former Congresswoman Val Demings.
Janda Ward at Saturday’s MLK parade in downtown Orlando said it’s vital for her daughter and nephew to learn early about a civil rights icon who fought for equality, justice and so much more.
“It’s very important for them to understand the history because it took a lot for us to get here and to see that we can accomplish and do anything,” Ward said.
For a list of events across Central Florida that honor Dr. King, click HERE.
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