A community program to celebrate the life of 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. 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The program is free and open to all, and no RSVP is required.

It is the annual event's 10-year celebration at GIAC and will begin with a buffet luncheon, a keynote speech and performances by local choirs. This year's keynote speaker is Lynette Chappell-Williams, director of the Office of Workforce Diversity, Equity and Life Quality at Cornell. Her topic is titled "Pursuing the Dream: Educating All of Our Children."

Following the luncheon there will be workshops, including children's workshops presented by Cornell's Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, GIAC, the Sciencenter, the Ithaca College MLK Scholars and others. There also will be a joint "Elder-Youth Speakout." The day's program will conclude with dessert and additional performances by area choirs.

Volunteers are needed, organizers say, to assist during the program for the following shifts: 9:45 a.m.-noon., 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., 1:30-3:30 p.m. and 3-5 p.m. Those who are interested in volunteering should contact Reneé Farkas at rcf1@cornell.edu or (607) 255-1107.

For general information about the celebration, contact GIAC at (607) 272-3622 or the Cornell Public Service Center at (607) 255-1148.

The event is organized by GIAC; the Multicultural Resource Center; the Center for Religion, Ethics and Social Policy at Cornell; the Cornell Public Service Center; Ithaca College's Center for Student Leadership and Involvement; 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.