Montgomery County will celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a Day of Service and a Tribute and Musical Celebration. All of the events will take place on Monday, January 17, 2011.

The Day of Service activities include the annual program held at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, a county-wide food drive to benefit the Manna Food Center and additional service project sites around the County.

The Tribute and Musical Celebration will be held at the Music Center at Strathmore beginning at 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required and are available on a limited basis. For tickets, go to www.strathmore.org or call 240-777-2570.

Day of Service Activities

Montgomery County’s Volunteer Center is organizing and coordinating indoor volunteer projects along with a canned food drive for Manna Food Center at more than 30 sites around the County. The volunteer projects are all approved for Student Service Learning credits. Online pre-registration is requested for all locations by going to www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mlk.

Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, 5701 Marinelli Road, North Bethesda – 1 to 3:30 p.m. Activities include packing snow day baskets for county-wide Meals on Wheels programs, decorating cards for children with cancer and other terminal illnesses, learning how to register as a bone marrow donor and attending sessions by the Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County. Additionally, there will be various agencies at the volunteer fair for anyone wishing to learn more about ongoing volunteer opportunities in Montgomery County. Call 240-777-2600.

Gapbuster Learning Center, Silver Spring Civic Building, One Veterans Place, Silver Spring – 12:30 to 3 p.m.  Activities include arts and crafts projects, a health expo, watching and discussing a movie about civil rights and Dr. King, and pledging 40 days of non-violence. Call 301-779-4252.

County-wide “Help the Hungry” food drive to benefit the Manna Food Center at all 28 Giant locations in Montgomery County on Saturday, January 15 and Sunday, January 16 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Groups are encouraged to “adopt a store” collection site on either, or both, days. Call 301-424-1130.

Sponsors for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service include Whole Foods Market, Gentle Giant, The Community Foundation for Montgomery County, The Gazette, M&T Bank, Marriott International and the HandsOn Network.

Musical Celebration – 4 to 6 p.m.

The Tribute and Musical Celebration will take place at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. This year’s theme, “Continuing the Legacy…How will YOU Serve?” pays tribute to the life and works of Dr. King and its present day impact. Some of the performances include jazz performer, Marcus Johnson; the 2010 winners of “How Sweet the Sound,” Men of Valor; Gospel jazz saxophonist, Brian Lenair; and a host of other performers from diverse backgrounds.

The annual celebration is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Tickets are required and may be reserved through Strathmore’s website at www.strathmore.org or in person at the Strathmore box office. On the day of the performance, the doors will open to non-ticket holders at approximately 3:45 p.m. until all seats are filled.

All Day of Service locations and the Music Center at Strathmore will be collecting non-perishable food items for Manna Food Center to distribute to those in need.

For more information about the musical celebration, call the Office of Community Partnerships at 240-777-2570, or visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mlk. For information about the Service Day projects, call the Volunteer Center at 240-777-2600.