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Fox Valley Martin Luther King Jr. Day events aim to inspire

A great leader deserves to be honored and remembered. Here's where you can find Martin Luther King Jr. events in and around the Fox Valley.

Aurora

Aurora University:

The university honors the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. in a special presentation featuring reflections and music, "A Legacy of Leadership, Service and Faith for Today," with state Sen. Kwame Raoul, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, in Crimi Auditorium, 407 S. Calumet Ave. in Aurora. Registration is required for this free event. State Sen. Raoul has served the people of the 13th Legislative District since November 2004. He is the chairman of the senate's Pension and Investment Committee, working for pension ethics reform and leading efforts to expand opportunities for minority- and women-owned financial service firms. He is also chairman of the Senate's Redistricting Committee, having introduced legislation that created the Illinois Voting Rights Act to protect racial and language minorities in the legislative redistricting process. To register, visit auartsandideas.com, email artsandideas@aurora.edu or call (630) 844-4924.

City of Aurora:

"Advancing the Mission Through Perseverance" is the theme of the city of Aurora's commemoration of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. set for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19, at Waubonsie Valley High School, 2950 Ogden Ave., Aurora. The speaker will be Tim King, founder and CEO of Urban Prep Academics, Chicago's first all-boys public school and the country's first charter high school for boys. Details: aurora-il.org.

Crystal Lake

Interfaith prayer breakfast:

Ernest Andrew Brooks III is keynote speaker at the sixth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Interfaith Prayer Breakfast, set for 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 19, at D'Andrea Banquets, 4419 Route 14 in Crystal Lake. His topic will be "The World House: Realizing Dr. King's Cosmopolitan Dream." The theme for this year's event is "Peace in the Midst of Challenge and Controversy." The program will include a call to prayer and group prayer with participants from a variety of local faith traditions including Islamic, Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist, various Christian traditions and New Thought.

There will also be the reading of a winning essay by a local middle school student addressing the theme: "How Do You Bring About Peace in the Midst of Challenge and Controversy?" plus music and chants with Lia Nicine McCoo.

Brooks has led and participated in cross-cultural pilgrimages to Spain, Morocco, Japan and Turkey. An ordained Baptist minister, he previously served as senior pastor of the Mount Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church of Williamston, North Carolina, and as a Baptist campus minister at Duke University.

FaithBridge, a consortium of local faith communities, promotes cooperation and understanding among diverse religious groups in the Northwest collar counties.

Tickets can be purchased at First Congregational Church of Crystal Lake, Blue Lotus Temple in Woodstock, McHenry County Jewish Congregation in Ridgefield, Ridgefield Crystal Lake Presbyterian Church, Center for Spiritual Evolution in Cary, Bethany Lutheran Church in Crystal Lake, the Department of Mission and Spiritual Care at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, and the American Muslim Community Organization in Algonquin.

Tickets also will be available at the door. For details, visit www.faithbridgeinterfaith.org.

Elgin

Food drive:

The Elgin Human Relations Commission and the Dr. King Holiday Committee are conducting a massive food drive. They are hoping to donate 6-7 tons of food to Food for Greater Elgin, All People's Interfaith Food Pantry, Centro de Informacion, Community Crisis Center, Elgin Salvation Army and Westside Church of Christ.

All Elgin Fire Department stations have collection boxes and will be accepting nonperishable donations through Sunday, Jan. 18, as will several other locations in the city. Drop-off sites include:

• Jewel Stores

• Elgin Fresh Markets

• Butera Markets

• Elgin City Hall

• Most Elgin churches

• Fire Station 1, 550 Summit St.

• Fire Station 2, 650 Big Timber Road

• Fire Station 3, 2455 Royal Blvd.

• Fire Station 4, 599 S. McLean Blvd.

• Fire Station 5, 804 Villa St.

• Fire Station 6, 707 W. Chicago St.

• Fire Station 7, 3270 Longcommon Parkway

Prayer breakfast:

The city of Elgin's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m. (doors open at 8 a.m.) Saturday, Jan. 17, in the University Business Center Dining Room, Building E., Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Drive. Tickets are $15; children under 3 are admitted free. The speaker will be Benedictine University professor Vincent Gaddis.

Gaddis holds a Ph.D. in history from Northern Illinois University with over 20 years of teaching experience in higher education. He is currently chairman of the Department of History, Philosophy, Global Studies and Theology at Benedictine University. He is the author of "Herbert Hoover, Unemployment and the Public Sphere: A Conceptual History, 1919-1933." He is working on his next book "Revolution in Values: Why America Must Embrace the Beloved Community." Gaddis has served on the African American Employment Advisory Council for the state of Illinois, serves on the advisory board of Northern Illinois Jobs with Justice, and is an ordained minister serving at River Valley Community Church in Aurora.

Tickets are available at the cashier's desk of City Hall, 150 Dexter Court.

Public program:

A public celebration honoring King's life is set for 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18, at the Hemmens, 45 Symphony Way. For details, call (847) 931-5607.

Day of service:

The fourth annual MLK Day of Service and Youth Leadership Conference takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19, at the Centre of Elgin. It includes a service fair, workshops, a lunch, speaker and music. The Centre of Elgin's aquatic center, basketball courts and other activities will be available for all participating youth. Registration is required at www.cityofelgin.org. For details, call (847) 214-6910.

Second Baptist at Judson:

The choir, musicians, and pastor of Second Baptist Church of Elgin will lead worship during Judson University chapel service at 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 19, at 1151 N. State St., Elgin. This chapel, like all others, will be free and open to the public.

For almost a decade, Second Baptist has participated in this day's celebratory chapel service.

"We have had a great relationship with Second Baptist. When this choir comes to lead us in worship, it is easy to see why this is among the most beloved and anticipated chapels," says Chris Lash, director of Judson's University Ministries.

The church pastor, the Rev. Dr. Nathaniel L. Edmond, who is a member of the Judson board of trustees, will serve as the guest speaker for this program that will also welcome prospective students who are participating in an overnight Preview Day event on campus. Visit www.judson.edu.

Hoffman Estates

Diversity dinner:

The Dundee-Crown High School Chamber Choir will perform at the 14th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Remembrance and Celebration Northwest, set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, at the Marriott Hotel, 4800 Hoffman Blvd., Hoffman Estates. Gov. Bruce Rauner will speak, and the honoree will be Manny Barbosa, Metra board member and former U.S. bankruptcy judge. Tickets are $55. The event is sponsored by the Illinois Commission on Diversity and Human Relations; visit www.icdhr.com for tickets or call (630) 771-1707.

  A group rendition of "We Shall Overcome" marked the end of the 28th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. prayer breakfast at Elgin Community College. Elena Ferrarin/eferrarin@dailyherald.com
  The Rev. Nathaniel Edmond of Second Baptist Church will speak at Judson University's chapel service Monday, Jan. 19. JOHN STARKS/jstarks@dailyherald.com ¬
Illinois Sen. Kwame Raoul will speak at Aurora University. Associated Press
  Dr. Vincent Gaddis, a professor at Benedictine University, will speak at the city of Elgin's prayer breakfast on Saturday, Jan. 17, at Elgin Community College. RICK WEST/rwest@dailyherald.com ¬
  DeShaun Binion, 12, of Elgin, totes a heavy bag of canned goods during a previous Elgin MLK Day Youth Day of Service. Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com
  The Elgin Community Choir performs at last year's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. program at the Hemmens Auditorium in Elgin. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com ¬
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Associated Press
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