The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Committee hosted their 11th annual scholarship award breakfast at the Savannah Center on Saturday, January 11, 2014. Over 640 contributors were in attendance to award scholarships to eight recipients from local high schools, including Leesburg, Wildwood, The Villages, and Belleview. (A complete list of the winners can be found at the bottom of this story)
The morning began with a welcoming from the MLK Commemorative Committee President, Lew Jones. “Let’s keep Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream alive” said Jones to an inspired crowd. The welcome was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by a past recipient of the scholarship, Andrene C. Cross. Cross is currently an honors student at the University of Florida.
Lew and his wife, Barbara, founded the organization some 13 years ago, and began awarding scholarships just a couple years later. Since, the Committee has grown tremendously, with nearly two dozen directors and committee members. In addition to committee members giving their time, many are also donors to the organization. One such member, Reverend Zachariah Harris, will be leaving the committee after eight years of service. “I see a lot of these people once a year. And yet the diversity brought together at an event like this…we’re keeping [Dr. King’s] dream alive” said Harris of the annual scholarship breakfast. The new Rock of Ages Lutheran Church that Harris will lead is located in Connecticut.
The morning continued with a presentation of an award to the chief benefactor of the committee for over the last five years, Ron Lottes and the Lottes Family Foundation. Lottes contributed $7,500 this year, up from his contribution of $5,000 in 2013.
Perhaps the loudest ovation of the day came for one of the morning’s non-recipient students, Javan Latson. Latson, who is currently in his junior year at Belleview High School, delivered the keynote address, the first time a student has delivered the keynote address at the 11-year-old ceremony. “It is a tremendous honor to be here” said Latson of the opportunity. To prepare for his speech, Latson called upon Civil Rights leader and Congressman John Lewis, as well as his grandfather.
“If it weren’t for Martin Luther King having a dream, Barrack Obama would not even be President,” said Latson of his grandfather’s opinion of the famous “March on Washington.” Latson seeks a degree in science or engineering, and will be taking the ACT next month to apply for colleges beginning this summer.
If you would like more information on the MLK Commemorative Committee, or if you’d like to make a donation to their cause, please visit www.MLKCommittee.org.
2014 MLK Commemorative Committee Scholarship Award Winners: Leor Tal of Leesburg High School (pictured below), Marcella Johnson of Wildwood Middle High School, Shaylani Williams of Wildwood High School, Jared Randell of The Villages High School, Richard (RJ) Perkins of The Villages High School, Andrew Nason of Leesburg High School, James W. Cowan of Belleview High School, and Mi’Khyia Haugabrook, Leesburg High School.
