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Lawton, OK: Lawton Public Schools will host its 2018 “Living the Dream” Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration at 6 p.m. Jan. 11 in the Lawton High School auditorium, 601 NW Ft. Sill Boulevard.
\r\n“Each year, the Lawton-Fort Sill community comes together to affirm the mission and character of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Just as importantly, our community stands as a true example of the realization of his dream, for few communities in Oklahoma are as diverse as Lawton,” said Dr. Tom Deighan, LPS Superintendent. \r\n
\r\n“As I look across our classrooms, I see Dr. King’s vision realized in a generation of children and young adults who see character, not color. They do not eschew diversity but rather embrace it without malice or prejudice. In fact, this generation of students embraces diversity without much consideration at all – a truly significant milestone.”\r\n
\r\nThe event is coordinated by Freedom Elementary teacher David Duncan and will feature performances by the LPS Children’s Choir, EHS Choir, LHS Orchestra and Drumline. Keynote speakers will include Lawton Mayor Fred Fitch and COL Joe Bookard, 428th FA Bridgade Commander, Ft. Sill.\r\n
\r\nWinners of the district-wide essay and art contests will be announced during the celebration, as will recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Young Achievers Award and Community Service Award. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be followed by a reception in the nearby cafeteria. \r\n
\r\n“One of Lawton Public Schools’ Guiding Principles is the celebration of our diversity, and this evening symbolizes the incredible strides sacrifices and triumphs of Lawtonians, present and past. May we honor all of them alongside Dr. King this evening, and may we say a prayer of thanks for our children, who can truly ‘join hands . . . as sisters and brothers,’” said Deighan.\r\n