Hundreds of local residents braved below-zero temperatures Monday morning, Jan. 20 to pay tribute to the life and lasting works of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The celebration was held at Prior Lake High School and featured a variety of presentations that featured music, poetry and multicultural food sampling. The keynote speaker was Alex Krafft, lead trainer at Narrative 4, an international organization that encourages civic engagement and greater community connections through sharing of personal stories.

Paying homage to King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, local students were invited to create an original poem prior to the event, and more than 60 entries were received from grades 5 through 12. The top entry for grades 5 through 7 was received from Esme Bushman from Hidden Oaks Middle School. Runner-up was Raven Schultz who attends Glendale Elementary. Phoebe Waltz, an eighth-grader from Twin Oaks Middle School, placed first when competing with students from grades 8 through 12. Prior Lake High School student Mia Lund was the runner-up in that age group.

Members of the Prior Lake High School Student Advisory Group took turns reciting portions of “The Hill We Climb,” written by Amanda Gorman for former President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021. The group is comprised of members from Student Council and Junior Optimists, along with the chairs of the student cultural groups who represent the school’s diverse student community who work to build an inclusive and welcoming environment.

The Prior Lake High School Choir Treble Ensembles, directed by Randi Erlandson and Robert Hahn, sang a touching rendition of “Sing Change.” A second musical performance by the Glendale Elementary Honors Choir, directed by Angela Kaso, ended the program with the African American spiritual, “Go Down, Moses.”

Other speakers included Michael Thomas, Superintendent of Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools; and Amenah Agunwamba and Gail Lewis-Miller, members of the Savage Equity Commission. John Parrish, President of Prior Lake Rotary, served as the event’s emcee. The event was cosponsored by the Prior Lake Rotary Club and Prior Lake-Savage Area School District.

This was the fourth year in which community members gathered at Prior Lake High School to honor the former civil rights leader, who was assassinated in 1968. The third Monday in January is now observed as a federal holiday in his honor.