A solidarity march, an award-winning football coach, many outstanding singers and a celebrated high school football player will be part of this year’s 20th annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Athens.

March

The day will kick off with the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday March and Program.

Participants should line up at 8:45 a.m. on the south side of the Limestone County Courthouse for the march, which will start at 9 a.m. and end at the Limestone County Event Center.

The Event Center program will start at 9:30 a.m. and include students reading their winning essays, songs and the reading of excerpts from Dr. King’s letter from the Birmingham jail.

Refreshments will be served after the program.

The local NAACP, city of Athens and Limestone County Commission are hosting the events.

Celebration

At 11 a.m., the Lincoln-Bridgeforth Park Advisory Board will host the annual MLK celebration at Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church in Athens.

This year’s speaker is Tanner High School football coach Laron White. Performing will be the Round Island Male Chorus and the Athens High School Youth Chorus led by John Malone.

As a tribute to Athens City Councilman Jimmy Gill, who died March 27, 2016, the first Jimmy W. Gill Youth Leadership Award will be given to Chadarius Townsend, the Tanner High School football star who recently became a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Gill, 68, died on Easter Sunday 2016 following his second bout with cancer. First elected to the City Council in 1992, Gill was one of the longest-serving council members in Alabama.

A luncheon will be held following the ceremony.

The events are free and open to anyone who wishes to attend. For information, call Robbin Hines at 256-614-5622.