Elgin to celebrate life, dreams of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

“Diversity is Our Strength! Unity is Our Goal! Empowerment is Our Destiny!” These words express the theme of Elgin's 26th annual celebration of the life, actions and dreams of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Sponsored by the Elgin Human Relations Commission along with the yearlong efforts of the Martin Luther King Jr. Planning Committee, the 2011 Celebration will begin with a prayer breakfast at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, and will close with a public musical program at 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 16.

The prayer breakfast will be held at the Elgin Community College Business Conference Center, 1700 Spartan Drive. Doors open at 8 a.m. Various community organizations will be featuring their wares.

The prayer breakfast will begin promptly at 8:30 a.m. The Rev. Lasha Tennyson of Second Baptist Church of Elgin will be the keynote speaker. Officer Steve Jones of the Elgin Police Department will receive the prestigious Humanitarian of the Year Award for his ongoing and impressive record of service to Elgin's youth and families. Tickets for the prayer breakfast are $15 and can be obtained online at cityofelgin.org/mlk or by calling (847) 931-5667.

The MLK Public Program begins at 4 p.m. at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin. Music will be provided by the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Choir and other musical performances. The winner of the 2011 Art and Essay contest will be announced. Fakra Ahmad and Cynthia Panthier of Elgin will be recognized as the first- and second-place scholarship recipients. The public program is free.

Members of the MLK Planning Committee include: Danise Habun (chairwoman of the Elgin Human Relations Commission), Janice Richards (vice chairwoman of Elgin Human Relations Commission), Shaan Jones of Elgin and Tish Powell of Elgin. For information on the events or the process for joining either the Elgin Human Relations Commission or the 2012 MLK Planning Committee, contact the city of Elgin at (847) 931-5667.