The Fox Valley Christian Ministerial Alliance helped local residents celebrate Martin Luther King Day on Monday with its annual prayer breakfast at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Aurora.
This year’s theme was “Strength to Love,” a concept that organizers said reflects some of the issues and challenges many are facing in today’s society.
Peggy Hicks, former president of the Fox Valley Christian Ministerial Alliance, said the annual event has been held for a number of years.
“We always have more than 150 people regardless of the weather,” she said. “We pay for this breakfast and it’s free to the public. We feel it’s important to start off the day like this as we’re very concerned about community and the well-being of each other.
“This event, it just brings a spirit of love,” Hicks said. “Regardless of our differences and all of that, we come together as a group to pray for our community but to also celebrate the work that Martin Luther King did.”
Hicks said that “people need a commitment to do something and people that come say, ‘I feel wonderful, I feel so refreshed and feel like I need to go do something in the community,’” she said about the breakfast event. “This energizes people to go and get involved in their community or church and King was very much about a call to action and service to others and volunteerism.”
Fox Valley Christian Ministerial Alliance Board President the Rev. John Burch of North Avenue Missionary Baptist Church in Sycamore, who lives in Aurora, said Monday’s program included sermonettes focusing on King’s life as well as prayers.
“I’ve been to many of these breakfasts before, since its inception,” he said just before the event on Monday. “To me, it’s been a time of reflection of the current situation spiritually as well as socially and over the years it’s been moving forward as we’re bringing people together from different ethnic backgrounds.”
King’s call to volunteerism was evident Monday as youngsters like Ta’mia Gray, 10, worked with others to serve the breakfast at the event.
“I’m glad to be here and I’m glad to serve on Martin Luther King Day and I’m just ready to help people,” she said as she brought out trays of food. “We’re going to just pass out food and serve people. To me, this day is to praise (King) and remember ideas and be respectful of people.”
Lauri Phillips of Aurora said being at the event “was to honor Martin Luther King’s legacy, especially in light of what is going on in the country right now.”
“I feel we have to honor his legacy and actions he has laid down for us and shown us the path to help the population as a whole,” Phillips said. “There are still things to do. We do have to keep on moving ahead not only for the African-American population but others we need to stand up for.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.