ITHACA, N.Y. -- A community program to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be held at the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC), 318 N. Albany St., on Martin Luther King Day, Monday, Jan. 20, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The program is free and open to all.

This ninth annual event will begin with a luncheon, a keynote speech and performances by local choirs. The keynote speaker this year is Larry Shinagawa, associate professor and director of the Center for the Study of Culture, Race and Ethnicity at Ithaca College. Workshops will follow the luncheon, including children's workshops presented by Cornell University's Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art and GIAC, storytelling by Jacqueline Scott and a music workshop by Tom Sieling. In addition, there will be a joint Elder-Youth Speakout this year and a workshop by Leslie Schultz and Tammy Baker, titled "Alternatives to Violence." The program will conclude with dessert and additional performances by local choirs.

The event is organized by the Cornell Public Service Center; GIAC; the Center for Religion, Ethics and Social Policy at Cornell; the Multicultural Resource Center; Campus Life at Cornell; and Greenstar Cooperative Market. It is co-sponsored by the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County and the city of Ithaca.

Volunteers are needed to assist with various shifts throughout the day of the celebration at GIAC. Those interested in volunteering for a shift or shifts, or those who would like additional information, contact Reneé Farkas at rcf1@cornell.edu or (607) 255-1107 or Alison Christie at alison@greenstarcoop.com or (607) 273-9392.

For information about the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, contact the Cornell Public Service Center at (607) 255-1148.