Wilmington, DE: West Side Grows Together in partnership with Be Ready CDC, the Delaware Art Museum, Delaware Music Network, Delaware Nature Society, I Am My Sister’s Keeper, MSK Community Center, and the Wilmington Peacekeepers will host the 11th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Clean Up, Peace March, and Celebration on Monday, January 16th at the MSK Community Center located at 1009 Sycamore Street in the Hedgeville neighborhood of Wilmington.

Prior to the festivities, attendees are encouraged to visit our partners at the Delaware Art Museum who are hosting their own Day of Service during which attendees can create their own “Share Your Dreams” poster with local artist K.O. Simms in preparation for the march.  Poster making takes place between 10:40 am to 1 pm.  Those who intend to march with West Side Grows Together and partners are encouraged to arrive at the MSK Community Center by 11:45 am to line up for the march.  Additional Delaware Art Museum activities can be found at delart.org/event/mlkday2023.

The featured West Side Grows Together event includes the following activities, all headquartered at the MSK Community Center at 1009 Sycamore Street:

• 10:30-11:45 am Cleanup (limited supplies provided) and poster making with Just P.L.A.Y.

• 11:45-12 pm March lineup

• 12-1 pm Peace march

• 1-1:30 pm MSK Community Center Introduction & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

• 1:30-3 pm Celebration with entertainment by the Delaware Music Network

• Community meal from Sicily’s Pizza

• Affirmation Wall by MSK Community Center

• Activity by Buddy Speaks Foundation

• Resources by Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, MSK Community Center, Public Allies Delaware, and the Rockford Center

• Small Business Marketplace featuring Afrokah, Big Man Hot Sauce, Sorella Finds, and Sweet T’s

Masks are encouraged and a limited number will be provided. Attendees may go to westsidegrows.org/mlkday for event details and to register.

At the start of the celebration, I Am My Sister’s Keeper will be introducing their brand new MSK Community Center to the community with a ribbon cutting and special guest speakers.  Charlotte Miller-Lacy, Planning Committee Member, Founder, and National Executive Director of I Am My Sister’s Keeper notes, “We are so excited to be able to cut the ribbon to the new MSK Community Center on Dr. Martin Luther King Day of Service. This building will be a beacon bridging the gap between home, school, and the community, providing exposure and opportunities to toddlers, teens, young adults and our beloved seniors. We are committed to being the change we want to see in our communities.”

Attendees will experience a local lineup of talent hosted by Joe Belardo of the Delaware Music Network, such as G Dash Jones, Young Seda, Latoya Marie, La’Shawn Janell, Jea Street, Jr., and Diary of Dance, all backed by the Upper Level Band.  Additionally, attendees will be able to connect with local organizations, small businesses, and resource providers while enjoying family-friendly activities sponsored by MSK Community Center and Buddy Speaks Foundation.  A free meal from Sicily’s Pizza will be provided while supplies last.

Felicia Davis, Planning Committee Member and Programs/Administrative Services Coordinator of Be Ready CDC mused, “On behalf of Be Ready CDC and myself, I cannot express how excited we are every year to be a part of this event. It tugs at my heart strings when I see our communities come together bringing forward the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King and to quote him directly, ‘What affects one directly, affects all indirectly’. With that said we have directly come together for the betterment of Wilmington as a whole. I hope that people join us in a continued effort to show grace and spread love to our fellow sisters and brothers. As Dr. King says, ‘The genuine beauty of brotherhood and peace is more precious than diamond, silver, or gold!’”

Thank you to our supporters for making this event possible (in alphabetical order): Buddy Speaks Foundation, DelDOT, Humbly Assisting Humanity, Just P.L.A.Y., Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, Public Allies Delaware, the Rockford Center, State Representative Sherry Dorsey Walker, and Waste Management.