Southold Town Gears Up to Commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

SOUTHOLD, NY — Southold Town is set to honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Southold Town Anti-Bias Task Force has invited the community to an annual event to celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

This year, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Celebration will be held on Jan. 15 at 4 p.m. at the Church of the Redeemer in Mattituck, located at 13225 Sound Avenue.

Keynote speaker this year will be Pastor Natalie Wimberly of the Clinton Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church.

Light refreshments will be served.

In addition, this year, students in local school districts will be participating in a "week of service." The week of service will take place in lieu of a townwide day of service that took place in recent years.

The Town of Southold’s Youth Bureau, with support from the Community Service Organization as well as the SADD club, will be sponsoring a community event to honor Dr. Martin Luther King’s Day of Service — a day that is designed to teach and encourage students to honor the idea of service to the country and community.

But the event will last for a week, as students collect supplies for troops overseas.

"In honor of this day of service, we are asking for your support in honoring our service men and women
overseas who volunteer their lives for our freedom," a release to parents and residents about the event said.

"Through the assistance with Brookhaven Veteran’s Association, we will be collecting items for Adopt-A-Platoon. The items will help support these men and women who are support troops. Due to the drawdown, our soldiers do not have access to full base facilities. Basic hygiene supplies and comfort items are hard to come by. So, we send them care packages with needed items and snacks," the release said.

Currently, the release said, troops are in the winter cycle and can use "comfort" items. The students will be designing bags for each platoon member filled with various requested items. Students and families in the Mattituck and Southold school districts are asked to send in donations to their homeroom teachers. The collection period will take place from Monday, January 9, to Tuesday, January 17.

Lori Rosato, Community Service Organization advisor at the Mattituck-Cutchogue Union Free School District, Lynn Nyilas, Town of Southold's Youth Bureau Director, and Andrea Nydegger, Students Against Destructive Decisions, or SADD advisor, at the Mattituck-Cutchogue school district, are organizing the collection efforts.

Donation suggestions include: Dry cereal, powdered milk, sugar packets, lots of protein foods, such as peanut butter and jelly, assorted snacks, such as nuts, granola bars, jerky, Slim Jims, pop top canned pasta, complete microwaveable meals, tuna, chicken, salmon pouches, crackers, drink mix singles, condiment packets, such as BBQ sauce, hot sauce, and ketchup, are requested.

Also need are assorted toiletries such as toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, bar/liquid body wash, shampoo and conditioner in one, baby wipes, foot/body powder, and hand/body lotion.

Always appreciated is anything to help boost the soldiers’ morale, such as letters/mail, current magazines, puzzle books, board games, other recreation items, such as cards, blank greeting cards, and pens.

Sports equipment such as footballs and basketballs are welcome.

Cold weather suggestions, specific to the November through April period, are hand and foot warmers, wool blend black/brown boot socks, instant soups, hot drink mixes, such as chocolate or cider, and oatmeal mix packets.

No glass jars or aerosol cans will be accepted.

Students at the Greenport Union Free School District will also be collecting food for Community Action of Southold Town, town officials said.

The events are meant to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A flyer for the MLK celebration quotes his words:

“Along the way of life, someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate and evil. The greatest way to do that is through love. I believe firmly that love is the transforming power that can lift a whole community to new horizons of fair play, good will and justice.”

Patch file photo.