The first commemorative event held each year in Fayetteville is the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration and Parade. The parade was held along portions of Ga. Highway 85 and was followed by the annual program activities at the Lafayette Education Center.
A wealth of entries under chilly skies were featured in the parade that began and ended at Fayette County High School after coursing along Hood Avenue, Hwy. 85 and Ga. Highway 54.
Later at the Lafayette Education Center, the birthday commemoration program featured musical selections from Fayette’s 2016 MLK Community Choir with remarks from “Bridging the Gap” speakers on the topics of education, income disparity, economics and criminal justice.
The program recognized the efforts of middle school students in essay writing, in school attendance and in high school academic achievement.
New this year was the awarding of the Fayette County Bridge Builder Awards. Recipients of the award included Joel Cowan, Greg Detwiler, Rick Halbert, Malcolm Hughes, Kim Learnard, Larris Marks, Judith Moore, Dawn Oparah, Edward Outlaw, Jim Pace, Melinda Sylvester and Carlotta Ungaro.
Below, Bridge Builder Award recipients are presented to the audience at Sams Auditorium Monday. Photo/Ben Nelms.
The Fayette County High School Marching Band was front and center at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Parade held Jan. 18 in Fayetteville. Photo/Ben Nelms.
