With a theme covering the days of slavery to the day America inaugurates its first black president, the 2009 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Parade kicks off Monday with a long line of local celebrities, floats and more.
The theme is “ We’ve Come This far by Faith: From Slavery to Martin Luther King Jr. to Barack Obama - Mr. President,” said Pearl Brown, president of the Bulloch County branch of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.) The local NAACP is sponsoring the parade and other events to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday.
The parade will begin at 2 p.m. from East Olliff Street, said Statesboro Police Lt. Anthony Gore, who is handling the law enforcement end of things. Streets will be blocked off at 1:30 and participants in the parade are asked to be in place by 11:30 a.m., he said.
Statesboro Police Major J. R. Holloway is the 2009 parade grand marshal.
The parade route extends along North Main Street, with units turning onto West Main Street , crossing South College and then veering right onto MLK Boulevard. The parade disbands at Louetta Moore Park, he said.
The parade will be streamed live, with a commentary by Statesboro Herald reporter Phil Boyum and Curtis Woody, Georgia Southern University communications arts instructor, on the Statesboro Herald web site www.statesboroherald.com for those who will not be able to attend in person.
The parade follows a prayer breakfast that will be held Saturday, Jan. 17, at 7 a.m. at St. Matthews Catholic church, Brown said. Keynote speaker will be Minister Carolyn Boles. Tickets can be obtained for a $10 donation; for more information contact Brown at 839-3321.
After the parade Monday, a community service program will be held at 3 p.m. at Tabernacle Baptist Church, she said. Keynote speaker is Dr. Arnie Cooper.
Brown said the official deadline for participating in the parade has passed, but said anyone who missed deadline and is interested in participating can obtain an entry form at Tremble and Sons Funeral Home. Fees are as follows: collegiate and individual entries - $10; commercial or church/religious entries - $25.
Brown said about 100 entries are expected.
The theme is “ We’ve Come This far by Faith: From Slavery to Martin Luther King Jr. to Barack Obama - Mr. President,” said Pearl Brown, president of the Bulloch County branch of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.) The local NAACP is sponsoring the parade and other events to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday.
The parade will begin at 2 p.m. from East Olliff Street, said Statesboro Police Lt. Anthony Gore, who is handling the law enforcement end of things. Streets will be blocked off at 1:30 and participants in the parade are asked to be in place by 11:30 a.m., he said.
Statesboro Police Major J. R. Holloway is the 2009 parade grand marshal.
The parade route extends along North Main Street, with units turning onto West Main Street , crossing South College and then veering right onto MLK Boulevard. The parade disbands at Louetta Moore Park, he said.
The parade will be streamed live, with a commentary by Statesboro Herald reporter Phil Boyum and Curtis Woody, Georgia Southern University communications arts instructor, on the Statesboro Herald web site www.statesboroherald.com for those who will not be able to attend in person.
The parade follows a prayer breakfast that will be held Saturday, Jan. 17, at 7 a.m. at St. Matthews Catholic church, Brown said. Keynote speaker will be Minister Carolyn Boles. Tickets can be obtained for a $10 donation; for more information contact Brown at 839-3321.
After the parade Monday, a community service program will be held at 3 p.m. at Tabernacle Baptist Church, she said. Keynote speaker is Dr. Arnie Cooper.
Brown said the official deadline for participating in the parade has passed, but said anyone who missed deadline and is interested in participating can obtain an entry form at Tremble and Sons Funeral Home. Fees are as follows: collegiate and individual entries - $10; commercial or church/religious entries - $25.
Brown said about 100 entries are expected.