Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and legacy are honored each year when we all take time to celebrate his birthday with a holiday on the third Monday in January. King, born January 15, 1929, was the ultimate civil servant dedicating his life to civil rights, peace, and justice, and is the only non-president to have a national holiday in his honor. This year, we are celebrating Martin Luther King (MLK) Day on Monday, January 18.
MLK Day honors King’s legacy, focuses on civil rights, highlights the use of nonviolence to promote change, and calls people to public service. For the last 26 years, MLK Day has been celebrated as a day of service.
Typically, Timucuan Parks Foundation hosts a cleanup at a preservation park to honor King and provide a service opportunity to our community.
This year, because we are not able to host an event open to the public, we encourage you to spend the MLK holiday outside volunteering in your community.
We suggest getting a small group of friends or family together to lead a park cleanup of your own. Visit our parks page to pick a location — then grab some trash bags, gloves, water and snacks then head out to a local park.
Dedicate your time in support of nature by collecting litter from trails, on shorelines, or in the parking lots. We encourage you to share pictures from your day of service with us. Tag us on social media with @timucuanparks.
For students, TPF will be kicking off the latest Student Self-Guided Cleanup program on MLK Day. Visit the Self-Guided page for directions on how to earn your community service hours while helping to maintain the health and beauty of our parks and preserves. The Student Self-Guided Cleanup program will run through March 14.
Dr. King was a true hero and we could all use a little of his passion and perseverance to make our community a better place. Join us in celebrating his legacy by volunteering your time in the parks in service to the community.