2018 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Contest Winners Announced

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AIKEN, SC (01/05/2018) The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Celebration Steering Committee and the University of South Carolina Aiken Inclusion Advisory Committee announce the winners of the poster and written essay contests who will be recognized during the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Community Celebration, on Sunday, January 21 at 3 p.m., in the USC Aiken Convocation Center. South Carolina State Senator Mia McLeod will be the keynote speaker for the event.

Kindergarten through fifth grade students in Aiken County participated in the creative visual poster contest. Their original designs had to represent what the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday means to them.

The following poster contest winners will receive an iPAD mini for their efforts.

Kindergarten - Second Grade:

1st: Knox Young, Mead Hall Episcopal School

2nd: Takiyah Anthony, Mossy Creek Elementary

3rd: Noah Hargrove, Belvedere Elementary

Third - Fifth grade:

1st: Solei Rafe, Busbee Elementary

2nd: Catherine Atkerson, Busbee Elementary

3rd: Ava Ellis, Busbee Elementary

As part of the sixth through 12th grade essay contest, students had to explain what a particular King quote meant to them. The quote chosen by organizers was: "Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love."

Middle school students' essays could not exceed 1,000 words, while the maximum word count for high school essays was 1,500 words.

The following poster contest winners will receive an iPAD mini for their efforts.

Middle School:

1st: Gray Crews, North Augusta Middle School

2nd: Skyler Daugherty, Town Creek Christian Academy

3rd: Christian Bradshaw, Town Creek Christian Academy

High School:

1st: Sarah Crews, North Augusta High School

2nd: Dalton Boone, Town Creek Christian Academy

3rd: Hannah Avent, Town Creek Christian Academy

Aiken Technical College and the University of South Carolina Aiken will present the annual celebration Jan. 21, offering the community time to reflect on the past and focus on the future of humanity as a whole.

"Dr. King's legacy has taught us to commit ourselves to service by serving each other and those in our communities," said one member of the steering committee.

All students in Aiken County, whether they attend a public or private school or are homeschooled, were eligible to participate in the contests.

In addition to receiving the electronic devices, the first, second and third place winners in each category are invited to attend a pre-event VIP reception. During the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration the winners will be seated in the VIP section.

The posters will be displayed in the lobby of the Convocation Center during the celebration.

For more information on the annual community-wide celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on Sunday, January 21 at 3 p.m., in the USC Aiken Convocation Center, go to www.usca.edu/mlk or www.ATC.edu.