Colorado State University, Fort Collins And Loveland Communities Celebrate Martin Luther King Birthday Jan. 19
Monday, January 12, 1998
FORT COLLINS--Colorado State University, Fort Collins and
Loveland will join to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday
Jan. 19 with performances, speakers and a re-creation of the 1963
Civil Rights March in Washington, D.C.
The celebration, called "Dream Keepers," will feature a
program at Colorado State's Oval at 1 p.m. and will include a
welcome and remarks by Jerry Smith, assistant director of Black
Student Services. A one-mile march from the Oval to Old Town in
Fort Collins will follow.
Before the march, students interested in learning more about
the history of the civil rights movement will attend a
presentation at 11:30 a.m. at the Durrell Center on campus.
The march will be led by Fort Collins Mayor Ann Azari,
Colorado State President Albert C. Yates, Poudre School District
Superintendent Don Unger, Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce
Executive Director Mike Hauser and Front Range Community College-
Larimer Campus Vice President Eric Reno.
"The march is a chance to share the spirit of our community,
to come together and say we believe in the dream of the American
Constitution, we respect the life and ideals of Dr. Martin Luther
King and that we want to make Fort Collins a welcoming place for
all people," Azari said.
Yates called the march "an opportunity to walk shoulder to
shoulder with friends and colleagues, bound by a belief that all
people--no matter their circumstances or their race--deserve the
chance to live lives of dignity and value."
In Old Town, the Voices in Unity choir will perform and lead
participants in songs. Participants then can listen to recorded
portions from King's original "I Have a Dream" speech. A
presentation of winning entries from Poudre School District's
creative writing contest for junior high school students will
follow, with readings by the winning entrants.
Events will conclude at 7 p.m. at the Loveland High School
Auditorium with a presentation by Darin Green and a performance
by the Gospel Voices, a Denver-based a cappella group.
"The day's events celebrate King's ideals of peace and
equality for all people, and pay tribute to those of every
ethnicity who have furthered civil rights," Smith said.
All events are free and open to the public, and are co-
sponsored by the City of Fort Collins, Colorado State University,
the Downtown Business Association, Front Range Community College-
Larimer Campus, the Loveland Martin Luther King Day Planning
Committee, the Multicultural Commission and Poudre School
District.
Free parking is available at Colorado State in any A, X or Z
lot on campus. Buses will be available to transport marchers from
Old Town back to the Oval after the event concludes. In the event
of severe weather, the march may be canceled. Check the campus
snow line Jan. 19 at (970) 491-7669 for updates.
For more information, call Mims Harris at (970) 491-0961.
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