More than 300 students will spend their day off with their peers from York Technical
College and Clinton College to put King's inspiring words to action through volunteer
work across York County. In observance of the MLK Day as a federal and state holiday, Winthrop classes are
cancelled and offices are closed.
ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA - Winthrop University will honor the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 18 during the institution's largest annual one-day service event.
More than 300 students will spend their day off with their peers from York Technical College and Clinton College to put King's inspiring words to action through volunteer work across York County.
In observance of the MLK Day as a federal and state holiday, Winthrop classes are cancelled and offices are closed.
"The students who participate in MLK Day of Service get an opportunity to build meaningful
relationships with individuals who may be different than them," said Kinyata Brown, director of diversity and student engagement. "Although there may be differences,
it is the common hope for humanity that unifies our community."
The event will kick off at 10:15 a.m. in Winthrop's Richardson Ballroom in the DiGiorgio Campus Center. Students will be joined by President Dan Mahony, wife Laura and their two children as they pitch in to help. Mahony will speak to
the volunteers, in addition to performances by WU Vision of Prayze Choir and Skin Deep Perform.
Each group of students will receive a "mission packet" that will reveal their challenge
for the day and then will travel to their destinations. A few community partners include:
First ARP Church, St. John's United Methodist Church, Freedom Temple Ministries, Adult
Enrichment Center and Pilgrims' Inn.
To follow the community service activities on Twitter, use #WUMLK16 and #campuscompactmlk.
The students will return to the Winthrop campus for lunch around 1 p.m. and share
and reflect on their experiences.
The event is coordinated by Winthrop's MLK Committee, the Center for Career Development and Internships and AmeriCorps VISTA. Sponsors also include the Resident Students' Association, Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, Council of Student Leaders, Office of Diversity and Student Engagement, the Global Learning Initiative and a grant from the Iowa Campus Compact MLK Day mini grant.
For more information on the celebration, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at longshawj@winthrop.edu or call her at 803/323-2404.
