Duarte’s Promise to Honor Martin Luther King, Jr’s Birthday With 8th Annual Community Beautification Project

A major theme in the life of the late Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. was to urge people to join hands and work together for positive change. For the eighth year, to commemorate King’s birthday, Duarte teens, members of the local business community, City staff, school district, and others will honor King’s legacy by setting their hands on shovels and rakes and planting greenery to help beautify an area of the City.

The 8th Annual “Martin Luther King, Jr. Beautification” Project, sponsored by Duarte’s Promise: The Alliance for Youth, will start the event at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009 with a continental breakfast at the Duarte High School Cafeteria sponsored by JOE’s Place of Duarte. A special Martin Luther King, Jr. Day program, featuring the First Baptist Church of Duarte Choir and guest speaker Bob Bartlett, Former Mayor and Councilmember of the City of Monrovia who will discuss his father's role and Monrovia's history in the civil rights movement. The event will be hosted by Duarte Mayor John Fasana.

Volunteers will then walk to the corner of Central Ave. east of Santo Domingo to plant ten, five-gallon Mexican purple sage, ten, five-gallon Purple fountain grass, and complete soil prep work donated by Cal-American Water Co. who is also supplying both bottled water and volunteers for the event as well.

The annual MLK Beautification Project is one of a number of special projects, programs and events sponsored by Duarte’s Promise – the Alliance for Youth. For additional information, please contact (626) 357-7931, xt. 268.