Students Across the Country Are “Building the Dream”

Under the leadership of Principal Jeffrey Parker, the students at the G. James Gholson Middle School in Landover, Maryland raised over $1,700 towards Dr. King’s National Memorial. Way to Go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The African American Organization (AAO) at Owings Mills High School in Baltimore, Maryland will be donating $1,000 to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “Stone of Hope” Memorial.

The dedicated student members of the AAO started raising funds for the Memorial during the 2006-2007 school year by selling pizzas and hosting a 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament. The fundraiser culminated with a car wash.

At the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year, the AAO continued the fundraising for the Dr. King Memorial through collaborative club efforts. Fundraising efforts included selling pizzas and drinks after school, selling cookies donated by faculty members, holding a “40-Year Campaign” on the anniversary of Dr. King’s death, and selling refreshments at a school talent show sponsored by the 2008 Senior Class. In addition, a feature story was written about Dr. King in the school’s newspaper, Eagle’s Eye; and power point presentations featuring notable quotes and achievements of Dr. King were presented on Eagle TV, the school’s television broadcast, to commemorate his birthday.

During the week-long “40-Year Campaign,” faculty, staff, students and administrators donated either 40 pennies, 40 nickels, 40 dimes, 40 quarters or 40 dollars to the Memorial. Many students volunteered to work on the “40-Year Campaign” helping the AAO to exceed its goal of $350. The AAO expressed its gratitude to the Owings Mills High School faculty, staff, students, administrators and surrounding community for helping make the Dr. King “Stone of Hope” Memorial fundraiser a success. Special thanks also were extended to the National Arts Honors Society for creating the mock check shown in the photo. Co-advisors for the AAO are Elaine Lloyd-Hudgins and Pam Flynn.
  

The Parent Advisory Council (PAC) and the 8th Graders at George Manierre School in Chicago, Illinois decided to raise funds for Dr. King’s Memorial. The first event they voted to do was a dance “Let’s Hop, NO Let’s LEAP for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dance”, which was held on Feb 29th-- Leap Day. This event brought notables in the surrounding area-- Alderman Walter Burnett & Illinois Secy. of State Jesse White, and raised more than $600.00.

This project was brought on part of the PAC who believes there is “empowerment” in giving, and wanted the 8th graders to partake in a momentous time in History----- the building of Dr. King’s National Memorial in Washington D.C. One 8th Grader, Justin M. Smith replied “This is a way we (African Americans) can say thank you to Dr. Martin Luther King for sacrificing his life for the betterment of our people, and have fun at the same time”. Illinois Secy. Of State, Jesse White, stated that Dr. King was his Minister when he attended Alabama State College in Montgomery, and was pleased to be one of the main contributors for the Dance.

But this dance is just the beginning, 8th Graders at George Manierre School also plan on giving a “Car Wash” at the end of the school year, and a general mailing solicitation for businesses in the surrounding area and for all parents at George Manierre School.

The L.A.N.T.E.R.N group at the Frelinghuysen Middle School applauded his students at the Frelinghuysen Middle School in Morristown, NJ for their dedication in raising $500.90 toward Dr. King’s National Memorial. They contacted the Memorial Foundation about the Build The Dream wristband campaign as a fundraising activity and provided the blue wristbands for donations of $5.00 each.

On the evening of March 27, 2008 a group of fifteen 8th grade students from The Harbor Middle School in Dorchester MA hosted an evening named A Dream to Remember in the hallways of their school to raise funds in memory of Dr. King. Their wish was to donate these gifts to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Foundation in Washington DC.

Many of these students had been inspired to do this when they were privileged to meet Dr. King's son, Martin Luther King 3rd at The Twelfth Baptist Church in Boston this past January 15th, the birthday of Dr. King.

Community leaders as well as friends and family of students were among the many guests who enjoyed the evening beginning with a Special Musical Presentation by Ms. Sherryann Morrison (a 2007 graduate of the school). After Sherryann performed, the students recited the I Have a Dream Speech given by Dr. King in August of 1963. Other guests spoke of Dr. King and of his many hopes and dreams. It was a moving event, which will be long remembered by all.

The Mike's Kids Scholarship, named in homor of the late Superintendent of Madison County Schools Billy Michael Caudill, held a number of fundraisers during the past year including two golf scrambles in Arlington, Kentucky, and a triathlon at Gibson Bay in order to raise money and awareness for the Build the Dream Foundation.  The efforts of this charity located in Richmond, Kentucky resulted in a $100 donation to the Memorial Project.

Megan O’Leary and Eun Bin Yi of Bennett’s Mill Middle School recently met with Harry E. Johnson, President and CEO of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C. The Student Council representatives presented a check to the foundation for $578.00. The 40 student delegation from Bennett’s Mill was given a private, behind the scenes tour of the four-acre site along the Tidal Basin. When completed, the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial will be adjacent to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial and on a direct line between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials.

The F. W. Cook School in Plainfield, New Jersey had a goal to help build the Dr, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. The students of the Cook School Student Council devised the plan, approached our principal, Mrs. Doris Williams, and put a plan in motion. We thought that each class could bring in spare change or more, to place in a container to contribute each day. The members of the Student Council would come around each week to collect and count the money. The money was deposited weekly and it grew from there. The students spoke at morning meetings to generate excitement around the project, give updates, and visit the classrooms to answer any questions the little ones had.

What a powerful experience this has been for us! It is one that the Student Council members are very proud of and will remember always for the leadership they showed.

The Student Council was led by two advisors, Mrs. Sarah Pretty, 5th grade teacher, and Mrs. Brenda Miles, library/media specialist at Cook School. Both teachers stated, “We were just so proud of the way the students rallied around this effort and gave 100% of their energy to honor Dr. King and help Dr. King’s vision live on.”

Thank you, Ms. Byrd, for thinking it not unimportant to visit with us, the children of Cook School to receive our gift of $1,000.00 to the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation.

There are many things in life that give you pride in who you are. Donating money to the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation is one of those acts. We, at the Park Avenue School in Orange, New Jersey think this act is very important because when Dr. King was alive he didn't get a lot of credit for his hard work.

On May 2, 2008 under the leadership of our principal, Dr. Myron Hackett and our advisors Guerdy Baguidy-Lauture, Carolyn Martin, Mary Ann Folkes and Sandra Knight, the sixth grade class sponsored a dance-a thon in which the students in the first through sixth grades participated to raise money to build the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial.

We raised a total of $685.00. People sponsored us to dance for hours in the multi-purpose room at school. All the students were extremely dedicated and that's the reason we were able to raise so much money. We also had supportive teachers, friends, and family members that sponsored us. We made the presentation of our donation to Ms. Trudy Byrd during our trip to Washington, D.C. There is no greater feeling than the satisfaction knowing you did the right thing, for the right reason and we know our hard work is going to pay off.

It's a great honor knowing that we helped in the commemoration of a great African-American hero. It's also a great honor knowing we supported a worthy cause. Our experience at the Memorial Foundation office was unlike any other because we were acknowledged for our hard work. We also saw a Virtual Tour of the Memorial which was extremely beautiful.

We are all very happy to have raised money for such a wonderful project!

Congratulations to the Maurice W. Downing Elementary School of Malverne, NY. Under the leadership of Principal Margaret McDaid and Chairperson Doris Hick, the kindergarten through fourth grade, 300 member student body held a "Reading to Build the Dream" fundraiser raising $1,978.50. It was presented to the Memorial Foundation on June 19th 2008.

On April 4, 2008 to commemorate the anniversary of Dr. King’s death, the students of the G. James Gholson Middle School in Landover, MD held a one-day fundraiser during their lunch periods, raising a total of $1,631.96 towards Dr. King’s National Memorial.

The dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. reaches far around the world.

Eighth graders from the Ernst Reuter school in Frankfurt, Germany learn about Dr. King and his dream for humanity from Ms. Marie Davenport, a former US Department of Defense Dependent School teacher who is committed to keeping Dr King's dream alive.

An annual event is held in Frankfurt, Germany at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Park. At this event, teachers and their students observed films to learn about Dr. King and the Civil Rights movement in American history. Ms. Davenport, who was in the 1963 March on Washington was a guest speaker at this event and answered a call by the 8th graders to visit the Ernst Reuter school, where she distributed blue "Build the Dream" wristbands to each of the students.

The students are committed to keeping Dr. King's dream alive and the Memorial Foundation commends Ms. Davenport for her efforts!