Lewisburg to host MLK Day on Jan 19

By RealWV staff,

Lewisburg, WV–The MLK Day Celebration in Lewisburg will take place on January 19. The day’s event’s begin with an 11AM march (with prayer by Bishop Kathie Holland and a welcome from James Wilmer) traveling from the Greenbrier County Courthouse through the streets of town and ending at the Lewisburg United Methodist Church. Along the way, marchers will sing civil rights anthems along with Chris Winston.

Smash Pots will provide a free meal at the church featuring beef chili, veggie chili, veggie wraps, chicken wraps, roast beef sandwiches, and turkey sandwiches.

At 1230PM, the program will begin in the church sanctuary. Participants include Mayor Beverly White, Rev. Bev Colombo, High Rocks, student essay winners, and the Resurrection Praise Community Choir. Milton Hardy of Covington will provide special music.

The keynote speaker for the event will be Jermiah A. Jasper, pastor of Woodford Memorial United Methodist Church in Elkins, West Virginia. He has been featured in Martin Luther King, Jr. Day programs at Davis and Elkins College and also West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon. Originally from Oak Hill, Rev. Jasper has a B.S. in Education from West Virginia Institute of Technology and a Masters of Divinity from Garrett Evangelical
Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois.

Three months ago, Rev. Jasper and Mike Brooks, both from the Woodford Memorial Methodist Church, were among the local winners of Extra Mile Heroes national awards, presented by to them by Elkins Mayor Jerry Marco. This was primarily due to the church’s weekly Common Ground Meals program and also their Backpack Program.

Anyone wishing to be a sponsor for this event may make out a check to Greenbrier Valley Community Foundation and write Greenbrier Valley MLK in the memo line. The foundation’s mailing address is GVCF, PO Box 1682, Lewisburg, WV, 24901.