Welcome to TBO.com. Skip directly to: our Keyword Search, Section Navigation, Content.

TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Suncoast Pasco News

Suncoast Pasco > News

King Day Event To Stress Service

SUNCOAST NEWS STAFF REPORT

Published: January 17, 2009

PORT RICHEY - The 2009 West Pasco observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. birthday holiday will echo President-elect Barack Obama's call to make it a national day of service.

The African American Club of West Pasco and Union Missionary Baptist Church are inviting the public to the event, which will take place from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. this Monday, Jan. 19, at the church at 6235 Pine Hill Road, according to Sandra Wright, club spokeswoman.

A food drive will be added this year, with participants asked to bring canned goods and other nonperishable food items to the King Day program.

The donations will be taken to the Volunteer Way, a nonprofit, faith-based charitable organization that helps needy families free of charge.

The main speaker will be Mildred Wilson, an educator and community activist who is the widow of Staff Sgt. Wilmer H. Wilson.

During World War II Wilson served in the 99th Fighter Squadron, which was trained at the Tuskegee Institute, in Alabama.

The Tuskegee Airmen became American's first African American military airmen. At the time many people, including most Army Air Corps officers, thought that black men lacked intelligence, skill, courage and patriotism to become fighter pilots.

By the end of the war the 99th Fighter Squadron and its pilots had won numerous unit citations and individual medals.

This year's program is also dedicated to the late Ruby M. Copeland and former students or teachers of the Booker T. Washington School in Port Richey. African American children attended the school at 6105 Pine Hill Road before the county's schools were desegregated.

Eugene Scott, founder of the African American Club, and members of his family attended Booker T. Washington School. They will be on hand for the dedication.

For more information, call Vivian N. Lockett, the event coordinator, at 813-996-2199 or Alice Delgardo, president of the African American Club, at 727-255-9174.

Share this: