Community Invited to Martin Luther King Jr. March with Local Boys & Girls Clubs

Club members holding up banners as they march across Noble Ave.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VISALIA, CA, January 13, 2020 -- On January 20th, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sequoias will be holding their annual march and service event in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Every year, members and staff from the Visalia, Tulare, Exeter, Ivanhoe, Strathmore, & Farmersville Clubs congregate at the Visalia Boys & Girls Club to march downtown as a united group. They then hold their program at the Garden Street Plaza, spreading messages of positivity. Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sequoias (BGCS) invites the public to join them and make this march the most memorable one to date.

Though school is out of session on MLK Jr. Day, members still choose to spend the day with the Boys & Girls Club—traveling by bus from their local Clubs to the Visalia Club. Parents and friends of the Club join in on the march, preparing posters, holding up banners, and chanting motivational messages. Once the group arrives at the plaza, the program begins.

Members, staff, parents, & friends of the Club departing from the Visalia Boys & Girls Club to march downtown.

This year, BGCS is grateful to have Barbara Simpson as their guest speaker for the event. Simpson is a retired educator who not only is a talented youth motivational speaker but is also very involved in our community. The program also consists of unique performances from each Club, such as a reading of the I Have a Dream speech, readings of poetry, and an interpretive dance. After the program, the members will march back to the Visalia Club for a barbecue lunch. The five visiting Clubs will then travel back to their respective sites and all members & staff will spend the rest of the day serving their local community.

BGCS organizes this event every year in order to show their members the importance of standing up for their beliefs and uniting for a cause. Renee Brisson, Unit Director of the Visalia Club and chair of this event, explains that, “It's vital we teach our kids to thrive in a community of love, peace and continuous growth. The only way to teach them this is to teach them about those who made history fighting for those exact things. We welcome everyone to join us for this event to stand together for one thing—unity.”

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sequoias listening to the I Have a Dream Speech at the Garden Street Plaza.

The goal is for this event to grow every year in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. BGCS hopes that others will come out and help inspire unity within our community on this special day. You are invited to join the march on Monday, January 20th. The march will begin at 10:30 AM at the Visalia Boys & Girls Club (215 W. Tulare Ave). The program will begin at 11:00 AM at the Garden Street Plaza. Follow the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sequoias on Facebook @BGCSequoias in order to stay updated and see coverage of this event.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sequoias

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sequoias is focused on helping all young people, especially those who need us most, to become responsible, caring and productive members of society. Boys & Girls Clubs were established in Tulare County in the 1990’s when Exeter and Visalia community leaders responded to the need for a positive place for local youth to spend free time after school. Today, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sequoias serves 1,000 kids per day at 14 clubs throughout Tulare County. Clubs provide a wide span of activities for local youth, varying from STEM to sports. www.bgcsequoias.org

For More Information

Please contact: Cynthia Montano | (559) 592–4074 | cynthia.montano@bgcsequoias.org

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