A large crowd honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in White Springs

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Miss Hattie Mae Jankins entertained the crowd with her stories. -Photo: Joyce Marie Taylor
Johnny Bullard prepares to sing “Beautiful Dreamer”. -Photo: Joyce Marie Taylor
The Sunrise Choir sang a selection of inspirational songs. -Photo: Joyce Marie Taylor
Pastor Richard Marshall gives the invocation. -Photo: Joyce Marie Taylor
All the SHE student entries for the Beautiful Dreamer awards. -Photo: Joyce Marie Taylor
Miss Hattie Mae Jankins makes her grand entrance. -Photo: Joyce Marie Taylor
Mayor Helen Miller presents a Beautiful Dreamer award to one of the SHE student winners. -Photo: Joyce Marie Taylor
Another SHE student award winner. -Photo: Joyce Marie Taylor
Barbecued chicken ready to be served. -Photo: Joyce Marie Taylor

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January 22, 2013

A large crowd honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in White Springs

Joyce Marie Taylor Suwannee Democrat The Suwannee Democrat Tue Jan 22, 2013, 02:02 PM EST

Jasper — The town of White Springs held a beautiful ceremony in honor of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, Jan. 21 on the front lawn of South Hamilton Elementary School with nearly 100 local residents gathered together to celebrate his legacy.

White Springs Mayor Helen Miller presided over the day’s events which included musical selections by the Sunrise Choir and an a cappella version of “Beautiful Dreamer” sung by Johnny Bullard. Pastor and town council member Richard Marshall gave a moving invocation which was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Storyteller Miss Hattie Mae Jankins (a.k.a. Letitia Bristol) made her usual grand entrance and proceeded to tell heartwarming and oftentimes humorous stories about the town and the people of White Springs, as well her fictional encounters with the late Dr. King and President (Rocky) Barack Obama.

Miller presented the President’s Volunteer Service Awards, which is conducted by the Points of Light Foundation in Washington, D.C., to several locals for their voluntary service to the community.

“Here in White Springs we have a whole lot of people who make this community work,” said Miller.

Recognized first were Fred Green, Mattie Fouraker, Cathy Fender, Waylon Bush, Rhett Bullard, Shauna Adama-Farries, who were just some of the people involved with getting the White Springs Charter School Initiative started.

Others receiving volunteer service awards were Kelly’s RV Park, White Springs Volunteer Fire Department, Dorothy Brown, Kenneth Hutcherson, The Planning and Zoning Board, White Springs Special Events Committee, the H.O.P.E. Fuel Bank and the H.O.P.E. Food Bank, White Springs Police Department, Dollar General, as well as all of the people involved with each of these community organizations.

Miller presented the first set of Beautiful Dreamer awards to students from each class at South Hamilton Elementary. The older kids wrote essays about what Martin Luther King Jr. meant to them and the younger students colored pictures. The top three winners received monetary gifts.

The main Beautiful Dreamer Pioneer Award was given to Lawrence “Jim” Udell.

Miller, on behalf of the town council, thanked everyone who came out for the day’s events. Minister Ricky Hutcherson from Beulah Baptist Church gave the blessing before the lunch prepared by Teddy Bear Marshall and friends was served. Thanks were given to Monica Carter for planning and organizing the day’s events.