Winning art pieces in the township’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. contest at the recreation center included this one by second grader Iknoor Kaur.
The township hosted its annual Martin Luther King Jr. remembrance ceremony and contest at the recreation center on Jan. 7 to commemorate King’s legacy.
Gloucester County Commissioner Jim Jefferson gave a speech at the ceremony portion of the event to a crowd of about 400, according to the township. It included an excerpt from King’s famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” written in 1963.
“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny,” Jefferson read, quoting King. “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
“I spoke on how we’re all in this together and how we need to help others that are in difficult positions,” Jefferson explained. “My dad was born in the 1940s and often talked about the struggles he went through. We need to model our actions on treating others the way they want to be treated and with the values Martin Luther King represented.”
The contest was an art and poster competition for township students from preschool to the sixth grade, and an essay competition for high-schoolers in grades 10 through 12. It saw 130 students honored by township council, with their pieces on display at the center. Winners each received a trophy and certificate representing a township proclamation.
“It’s all fantastic stuff and we need to teach kids to get involved in the community,” noted Mayor Paul Medany. “The teachers and staff of the schools guide this all along and help get the students involved. They’re our future.”
“It’s a great event and town that’s a balance of all these different people coming together,” Jefferson explained. “The event is a great night … and it’s wonderful to see all the kids get older. It’s a special night for me since my wife teaches at Shady Lane. I know how hard she works and how special a night it is for her.”
