The City of Miami Gardens Presents The 7th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King “Unity in the Community” Holiday Celebration

Miami Gardens, FL, December 29, 2010 –(PR.com)–
The City of Miami Gardens’ Mayor and Council are proud and honored to
present the City’s 7th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King (MLK) “Unity in the
Community “ Holiday Celebration, which will be held on January 17,
2011, from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at Miami Carol City Park, 3201 NW
185th Street, Miami Gardens, Florida 33056.

In honor of Dr. King,
the Mayor and Council are extending a special invitation to the public
to join the City in celebrating the birthday of this great American
icon. On January 17th, Miami Carol City Park will be filled with great
music entertainment, dance performances, and tributes to Dr. King. There
will be free rides for children, food and merchandise vendors along
with other exciting events taking place throughout the day. Leading up
to the main celebration, the City of Miami Gardens has programmed
several events, including an annual oratorical contest, poetry contest
and break-out artist contest, which members of the Miami Gardens
community are urged to participate (visit www.miamigardensmlk.com for
more information about each event, download applications and review
rules.

· 1-8-2011 Break-Out Artists Competition- South Florida
vocalist and dancers compete for a debut spot on stage during the main
event concert on 1-17-2011. Cash prizes awarded to winners.

·
1-8-2011 Oratorical Preliminaries–Students living or attending school in
Miami Gardens are invited to participate in annual oratorical
competition. Students must make it to the finals to compete for cash
prizes and gifts.

· 1-13-2011 Poetry Contest- Open to all poets.
Cash prizes awarded along with the opportunity to perform their winning
speech on stage at main event on 1-17-2011.

· 1-15-2011
Oratorical Finals- Finalist selected from the oratorical preliminaries
will compete for top honors and cash prizes, along with an opportunity
to perform their winning speech on stage at the main event on 1-17-2011.

Dr.
King, an iconic African American hero, will always be remembered for
the contributions he made to the world through his dedication to world
peace, equality and freedom for all. Thanks to his momentous role in the
Civil Rights Movement, and his work to end racial segregation, many
people can say “I am living the dream Dr. King once dreamed for himself,
his generation, and future generations. It’s a must that we continue to
remember and honor Dr. King and not lose sight of his great legacy
which affords us so many of the social, political, educational and
financial opportunities we enjoy today,” says Councilwoman Sharon
Pritchett.

“In the City of Miami Gardens we encourage everyone to
reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.‘s life as he worked to advance
civil rights, championed nonviolence principles, and reminded humankind
that ‘Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands
against love.’ We understand Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ‘s legacy is
the foundation for building a better world one person at a time,” says
Councilwoman Sharon Pritchett.

Dr. King dedicated and sacrificed
his life for the benefit of peace for humankind. A student of Ghandi‘s
methods of non-violence, Dr. King believed all could be achieved through
non-violence, civil disobedience, compassion, and responsibility. Dr.
King’s work to end racial segregation and discrimination along with his
“Six Principles of Non-Violence” and other notable achievements, earned
him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1962. He is the youngest person to have
ever been awarded this stellar honor.

For more information about
this event, please contact Ula Zucker Williams, Events and Media
Coordinator for the City of Miami Gardens at (305) 622-8035 or email
[email protected], or contact Stephanie Saenz, Events and
Media Planner at (305) 622-8000 ext. 2482 or email
[email protected]. Visit www.miamigardensmlk.com for event
information and how to participate.

About City of Miami Gardens
The
City of Miami Gardens was incorporated on May 13, 2003 as the 33rd city
in Miami-Dade County. At a population of approximately 110,000, it is
the third largest city in Miami-Dade County. Miami Gardens is a solid,
working and middle class community of unique diversity. It is the
largest predominantly African-American municipality in the State of
Florida and boasts many Caribbean and Hispanic residents. The City
recently hosted the 2010 FedEx Orange Bowl and will host the 2010 NFL
Pro Bowl™ and Super Bowl XLIV™. This is the second time that the City
has hosted the Super Bowl under Mayor Shirley Gibson’s Leadership.
Recently the City of Miami Gardens dropped 22 places from 13th in crimes
being committed in metropolitan areas to 35th in the nation according
to CQ Press of Washington, D.C., who publishes the annual Crime in
Metropolitan American report. The City attributes this achievement to
its successful implementation of its own Police Department. To learn
more about the City of Miami Gardens, go to www.miamigardens-fl.gov.