Huge MLK celebration planned for Jan. 18 at Hylton Memorial Chapel in Woodbridge

Students in Prince William County Public Schools will participate in the Annual King Day Celebration and Youth Oratorical Contest on Monday, Jan. 18 at the Hylton Memorial Chapel, 14640 Potomac Mills Road, Woodbridge. The event will begin at 11 a.m.

Students will compete in early January for a spot in the contest. A total of six finalists, including three middle school and three high school students, will be selected for the mid-January event. Winners of a fourth- and fifth-grade writing contest will also be announced.

This year’s theme is “Imagine What If…” Students are asked to speak to this topic and are encouraged to examine what it means to be educated and the benefits and value of an education. The program will feature performances by the Martin Luther King Community Choir under the direction of Ivory Lawrence Coleman.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration is sponsored by the Prince William County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Delta Educational and Public Service Foundation.

A host of organizations support this event, including The Cecil and Irene Hylton Foundation; the school districts and education foundations of Manassas City Public Schools, Manassas Park City Public Schools, and Prince William County Public Schools; and many churches and private donors.

More than 1000 people are expected to attend, making the event one of the largest King Day celebrations in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.