Evanston Review

Evanston 150 aims for big kickoff

 

Staff Report January 11, 2013 2:46PM

Updated: February 19, 2013 12:08PM

Evanston 150 has big plans for the city’s 150th anniversary year, starting with the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend.

The organization’s 2013 Working Group is teaming up with the city, and several community partner organizations to kick off Evanston’s 150th anniversary year.

The groups already have a theme: “Volunteer. Celebrate. Engage,” which they plan to put in place, starting with the Jan. 19-21 Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend, Evanston 150 Project Director Stephanie Kulke said Friday.

Participating community partner organizations include Music Institute of Chicago, Northwestern University, Youth Organizations Umbrella and YWCA Evanston/North Shore, Kulke said.

Community members are invited to take a pledge to meet the community’s goal of reaching 150,000 volunteer hours in 2013. Volunteer hours can be logged on the Volunteer Evanston website at www.volunteerevanston.org.

Celebrate! 2013 Working Group members will hand out prizes courtesy of Andy’s Frozen Custard to attendees who sign up for the Volunteer Evanston website at the following events:

• Noon – 1:30 p.m. Jan. 19 at Evanston Day of Celebration Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Fleetwood-

Jourdain Community Center, 1655 Foster St.

• 5-7 p.m. Jan. 20, at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration concert at the Music Institute of Chicago, 1490 Chicago Ave.

• 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Jan. 21, at the Diverse Evanston Walks United event at the Music Institute of Chicago, Nichols Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave.

Celebrate! 2013 Working Group co-chair Patrick Keenan-Devlin said, “2013 marks the 30 anniversary of legislation creating a federal holiday marking the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “I can think of no better way of celebrating Evanston’s rich history of civic engagement than by launching a year of service in Evanston that honors Dr. King’s legacy, as well as shapes the future of Evanston.”

Those unable to attend the kick-off events can still participate by creating an organization or individual volunteer profile at www.volunteerevanston.org and then logging their volunteer hours throughout 2013.

For more information on Martin Luther King, Jr. events visit www.cityofevanston.org.

For more information about Celebrate!2013 and Evanston150’s 10 big ideas visit www.evanston150.org.




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