ORLANDO, Fla. – Hundreds came together in Orlando to celebrate the legacies of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Arthur “Pappy” Kennedy.
Monday marked the 35th annual Arthur “Pappy” Kennedy Prayer Breakfast, which is named in honor of Orlando’s first African American city council member.
This occasion took place at First Baptist Church of Orlando and was orchestrated by the Southwest Orlando Jaycees, YMCA of Central Florida and the City of Orlando’s MLK Commission.
Kennedy was an Orlando commissioner from 1973 to 1980, but his service extended far beyond his time in office.
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“When you look at ‘Pappy’ Kennedy, he was a phenomenal leader who lifted up the people here that created the space for so many other leaders to do the work they’re doing in this community today,” President and CEO of YMCA Central Florida Kevin Bolding said.
During Monday’s event, 19 high school students were also each awarded a $2,000 scholarship.
“We’re going to help them in their college endeavors. They can use it for books or whatever they need to,” Bolding said. “I think the more that we do that, to give kids that lift up, it’s going to help them be successful in the long run.”
Brittany Waters, who is the great-granddaughter of “Pappy” Kennedy, was with several other family members at Monday’s event and said she was inspired by the growth it’s seen over the years.
“Just to be able to keep coming back and seeing it grow. To see it here at the First Baptist Church of Orlando and the amount of people that come here, it’s amazing,” Waters said.