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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said “the time is always right to do what is right.” His enduring legacy of leadership is honored nationwide on January 18. Celebrations of his life and work will occur across our area, including a partnership with South Puget Sound Community College and the Thurston Group of Washington State.

oly fed sponsorOn Saturday, January 16, the SPSCC Artist and Lecture Series will host keynote speaker Nancy Giles, a comedian, actress, and CBS Sunday Morning contributor. College Director of Public Relations and Events Kelly Green explains that “throughout the years our students have regularly held MLK celebrations that ranged from casual events in the Student Union to formalized panels and presentations. Last year was the first time that SPSCC partnered with the Thurston Group of Washington State to host their annual MLK banquet and present it as part of our annual Artist and Lecture Series.”

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The Martin Luther King, Jr. banquet became a partnership between SPSCC and the Thurston Group in 2015. Photo credit: SPSCC.

Green continues, “The banquet is a great partnership between SPSCC and TGWS that has allowed us to build a program together that supports their work and their scholarship recipients while also supporting our efforts to build a culture of diversity and equity on campus and to connect the greater community with our campus.”

Thurston Group founding members Barbara and Virgil Clarkson love to promote the relationship aspects of their community activism. Barbara stresses that the annual Martin Luther King event is “a community celebration, not a fundraiser. The public is welcome and it is one of our most popular reach out programs.” At this year’s banquet, they will present humanitarian awards to community volunteers, a leadership award, and—for the first time—award a caring local business.

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The MLK banquet will feature a keynote speaker as well as Thurston Group awards for individuals, businesses, and groups who make a difference in our region.  Photo credit: SPSCC.

The Thurston Group provides scholarships to high school students in the Tumwater, Olympia, and North Thurston school districts. In their 20+ year history, they have helped more than 800 students by distributing over $6 million in scholarship funds. Beginning this year, they will provide scholarships to second year SPSCC students to continue their education and complete chosen degree programs.

They have also branched out to assist students from Oregon and British Columbia as well. One Canadian First Nation scholarship recipient used Thurston Group’s financial instigation to jumpstart college dreams that went from a GED to PhD. Graduates of the program range from medical doctors to concert pianists.

Tickets to this year’s MLK banquet are $40 and can be purchased online or by calling 360-596-5202. The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Student Union Building with social time and hors d’oeuvres while the lecture begins at 6:00 p.m.

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Thurston Group has helped more than 800 local students with over $6 million in scholarship funding. Photo credit: SPSCC.

“There is a demonstrated hunger in this community for meaningful dialogues around complex issues that are often simplified into short sound bites on network news or narrow-minded internet comments. The vast majority of people want to explore these issues in depth and have a fuller understanding of the world around them,” notes Green.

“Many of our students are able to do this in their classes but events like the MLK banquet have given us a venue for a larger portion of the population to come and learn together. Through partnerships with groups like the Thurston Group, Olympia Federal Savings, the Community Foundation of South Puget Sound and many other individuals and organizations, we are able to bring a wide variety of artists and make them affordable and accessible for the whole community. We truly believe this is part of our mission as a community institution and we are happy that we’re able to participate in these kinds of programs,” shares SPSCC’s Green.

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Last year’s community celebration sold out so buy your tickets for the Jan. 16 event early. Photo credit: SPSCC.

The 2015 MLK Banquet sold out so buy tickets early. Information on upcoming SPSCC Artist and Lecture Series speakers can be found online, with dates, times, and locations. For information on donating to the Thurston Group of Washington State, call Barbara and Virgil Clarkson at 360-459-9067.

“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence,” said Dr. King. May the students, educators, and community activists who celebrate his life continue to embody his words for years to come.

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