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Published January 23, 2013, 12:00 AM

PHOTO GALLERY: MLK Breakfast


For the sixth time in as many years, people from River Falls and its surrounding area gathered for the Martin Luther King, Jr., commemorative breakfast Monday, Jan. 21, the national holiday that honors the civil rights activist. Subzero cold did not dissuade about 200 guests from coming to share a meal, hear the River Falls Community Gospel Choir, listen to local kids read essays and poetry and watch the ‘main breakfast’ keynote address given from Minneapolis by founder of the Children’s Defense Fund, Marian Wright Edelman.


Debbie Griffin photos

  • For the sixth time in as many years, people from River Falls and its surrounding area gathered for the Martin Luther King, Jr., commemorative breakfast Monday, Jan. 21, the national holiday that honors the civil rights activist. Subzero cold did not dissuade about 200 guests from coming to share a meal, hear the River Falls Community Gospel Choir, listen to local kids read essays and poetry and watch the ‘main breakfast’ keynote address given from Minneapolis by founder of the Children’s Defense Fund, Marian Wright Edelman. <br /><br /><br />Debbie Griffin photos<br />
  • Middle school students in the Teens as Teachers program work the breakfast each year, refilling coffee and water, removing dirty dishes and taking around the free-will donation baskets. Part of the group prepares to collect money; left to right are Madisyn Morrow, Kyle Cosgrove, Shihab Adam and Brian Miller get ready to collect money from MLK breakfast attendees.
  • Many sponsors give to make the breakfast possible, and attendees are asked to make a free-will donation to support a different non-profit organization each year. For 2013, proceeds from the breakfast totaled about $2,000 and will benefit the Kinnickinnic Backpack program and the River Falls Community Food Pantry.
  • A small army of volunteers helped work in the kitchen, keeping supplies fresh and the oatmeal hot. Left to right: Hardy White, Gary Senn, Kaija Warner and Elizabeth Swank, who coordinated the youth and poetry essay contest.
  • A highlight of the MLK commemorative breakfast is the River Falls Community Gospel Choir, comprised of different local singers, as well as members of the Minnesota Chapter of the Gospel Music Workshop of America. They provided uplifting song before, during and after breakfast, directed by Camilla Horne and accompanied by Kim Crisler and Carl Clomon.
  • Elementary school-aged kids create original placemats for each setting at the tables of the MLK breakfast event. Some had pictures or words or both; the placemat on the right in this photo says “perseverance.”
  • Several young people shared original works with the audience, a poem or essay they’d written. <br /><br />Left to right: Gavin Erickson, Celia Mangelsen, Celia Olson, Mattie Peters and Adrianna Jacobson. <br /><br />Gavin Erickson, an essayist at the 2012 MLK Breakfast, read at Monday’s event, “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes.<br /><br />Adrianna Jacobson shared her poem, “Footsteps.” Celia Mangelsen read aloud her poem, “A Word Taught.” Celia Olson presented her essay about education, “It’s Gonna Count.” Mattie Peters shared her poem, “Education electrifies Knowledge.” Braden Reed wrote “Education is Key” for the occasion but could not attend to read his work aloud.