Thanks to Bisanz Brothers and Dakota County for their support.
Roughly 450 people came out to Two Rivers High School for a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day service event, which included service projects and guest speaker Alan Page. The Two Rivers Key Club hosted the event in celebration of Dr. King’s life and work.
Special guest: Page, a former Minnesota Viking and Minnesota Supreme Court judge for 20 years, spoke about the importance of serving others. During a brief Q&A he talked about the children’s books he’s written, the value of the civil rights movement during the 1960s, as well as how every single person makes a difference each day.
Music: The Black History Month Choir from Mendota Elementary School kicked off the event singing “We Shall Overcome” and “This Little Light of Mine.”
Service projects: The 450 community members who came out worked on a number of service projects including:
- National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)
- Live Green planting succulents
- Rock painting for community gardens
- Decorating grocery bags for food shopping at shelters
- Packing supply bags for shelters with food
- Diaper bags
- Grippy socks for senior citizens
In addition, the Two Rivers Key Club decorated the gym with motivational posters, had an ‘I Have A Dream’ wall to share each person’s dreams, accepted donations for the fires in Los Angeles, and had food and drinks available for everyone.
History: The Key Club started the Dr. King Day event in 2023 with just eight students, and last year’s event saw 120, making this year’s massive crowd the biggest by far.
A Look at the MLK Day Service Event
Here are photos from the event by photographer Adelaide Christensen:
All photos by Adelaide Christensen: Adelaide is a junior at Two Rivers High School and enjoys motorsports, cross country skiing, and nature photography.
Jan. 22, 2025 Update: More Media
- KARE 11 ran a story about the event and included this quote from Two Rivers Principal Al Johnson: “We as the adult population need to stop underestimating our children. We need to give more responsibility to them. Give them more voice. The healing of our space is going to come from our youth, so lets empower them to be positive leaders. This is a great example of what it can look like.”
- WCCO also ran a story and talked with one of the student organizers: “I want to show the world that they can be the change, they can be the change they want to see in the future,” said JaeLynn Dodson.
- Town Square TV also ran a story highlighting the event:
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