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About USA Freedom Corps  > Newsroom >
Press Releases & Announcements
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, November 13, 2006

Corporation for National and Community Service
CONTACT: Siobhan Dugan
Phone: 202-606-6707
Email: sdugan@cns.gov

National Service Participants Volunteer During Groundbreaking for King National Memorial in Washington, DC

President George W. Bush greets Martin Luther King III and his sisters, Yolanda Denise King and Bernice Albertine King, Monday, Nov. 13, 2006, following President Bush’s speech at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Washington, DC – Dozens of national service participants volunteered this morning at groundbreaking ceremonies for the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial, an event that featured President George W. Bush, former President Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey and Maya Angelou. More than 2,000 national corporate and nonprofit leaders attended.

"Honoring Dr. King's legacy requires more than building a monument; it requires the ongoing commitment of every American," President Bush said.

For 12 years, the Corporation for National and Community Service has worked with nonprofit and faith-based organizations, public agencies, and education institutions across the country to continue the commitment to Dr. King's legacy by encouraging Americans to mark the King Holiday as a day of community service.

“It was so fitting that participants in our programs played key roles in today’s event,” said David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “Just as the King National Memorial will be a physical reminder of King’s legacy, service is a living memorial to an American hero. Service on the King Holiday not only is an appropriate recognition of Dr. King's life and legacy but it also helps local communities achieve their goals.”

The volunteers for the day included 40 City Year AmeriCorps members and 105 Howard University students who are participating in the university’s service-learning program.

Additional Photos:

Oprah Winfrey addresses the crowd at groundbreaking ceremonies for the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, DC. More than 100 AmeriCorps members and Learn and Serve students volunteered at the historic groundbreaking of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial. Speakers challenged Americans to honor Dr. King’s life and legacy by working in their communities achieve King’s dream of justice and equality. For the past 12 years, the Corporation for National and Community Service has led national efforts to transform the King Holiday into a national day of service as a living memorial to the civil rights legend.
Click to Enlarge
Service-learning students from Howard University in Washington, DC volunteered at groundbreaking ceremonies for the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, DC. More than 100 AmeriCorps members and Learn and Serve students volunteered at the historic groundbreaking of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial. Speakers challenged Americans to honor Dr. King’s life and legacy by working in their communities achieve King’s dream of justice and equality. For the past 12 years, the Corporation for National and Community Service has led national efforts to transform the King Holiday into a national day of service as a living memorial to the civil rights legend.
Click to Enlarge
Volunteers from Howard University in Washington, DC at the groundbreaking ceremonies for the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial sport sweatshirts touting the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. More than 100 AmeriCorps members and Learn and Serve students volunteered at the historic groundbreaking of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial. Speakers challenged Americans to honor Dr. King’s life and legacy by working in their communities achieve King’s dream of justice and equality. For the past 12 years, the Corporation for National and Community Service has led national efforts to transform the King Holiday into a national day of service as a living memorial to the civil rights legend.
Click to Enlarge
Student volunteers from Serve DC, the DC Commission on National and Community Service, take a break from volunteer activities during groundbreaking ceremonies for the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, DC. More than 100 AmeriCorps members and Learn and Serve students volunteered at the historic groundbreaking of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial. Speakers challenged Americans to honor Dr. King’s life and legacy by working in their communities achieve King’s dream of justice and equality. For the past 12 years, the Corporation for National and Community Service has led national efforts to transform the King Holiday into a national day of service as a living memorial to the civil rights legend.
Click to Enlarge
City Year AmeriCorps members volunteered at groundbreaking ceremonies for the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, DC. More than 100 AmeriCorps members and Learn and Serve students volunteered at the historic groundbreaking of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial. Speakers challenged Americans to honor Dr. King’s life and legacy by working in their communities achieve King’s dream of justice and equality. For the past 12 years, the Corporation for National and Community Service has led national efforts to transform the King Holiday into a national day of service as a living memorial to the civil rights legend.
Click to Enlarge
President Bush greets former President Clinton, whom he jokingly said has become his “fourth brother.” Both President Bush and former President Clinton addressed the audience at groundbreaking ceremonies for the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, DC. More than 100 AmeriCorps members and Learn and Serve students volunteered at the historic groundbreaking of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial. Speakers challenged Americans to honor Dr. King’s life and legacy by working in their communities achieve King’s dream of justice and equality. For the past 12 years, the Corporation for National and Community Service has led national efforts to transform the King Holiday into a national day of service as a living memorial to the civil rights legend.
Click to Enlarge
Diane Sawyer arrives to address groundbreaking ceremonies for the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, DC. More than 100 AmeriCorps members and Learn and Serve students volunteered at the historic groundbreaking of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial. Speakers challenged Americans to honor Dr. King’s life and legacy by working in their communities achieve King’s dream of justice and equality. For the past 12 years, the Corporation for National and Community Service has led national efforts to transform the King Holiday into a national day of service as a living memorial to the civil rights legend.
Click to Enlarge
A Howard University student greets attendees at groundbreaking ceremonies for the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, DC. More than 100 AmeriCorps members and Learn and Serve students volunteered at the historic groundbreaking of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial. Speakers challenged Americans to honor Dr. King’s life and legacy by working in their communities achieve King’s dream of justice and equality. For the past 12 years, the Corporation for National and Community Service has led national efforts to transform the King Holiday into a national day of service as a living memorial to the civil rights legend.
Click to Enlarge

The Corporation for National and Community Service improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering, providing service opportunities for millions of Americans of all ages and backgrounds. Corporation programs include Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America. For more information, visit www.nationalservice.gov. Through its programs, the Corporation is spearheading an effort to increase the number of volunteers nationally by 10 million by 2010. National days of service are an integral part of increasing the number of volunteers. In addition to its involvement in Make A Difference Day, the Corporation is charged by Congress with encouraging service on Martin Luther King Day each January.  Please visit www.mlkday.gov for more information.

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