FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Some South Florida students honored a civil rights hero by participating in a day of service for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
More than 600 volunteers could be seen at South Hialeah Elementary School helping to spruce up the campus on Monday.
“Our students are very aware of the service and the support that Dr. Martin Luther King has provided to many communities,” South Hialeah Elementary Principal Lina Tellez said.
City Year Miami — a nonprofit that partners with public schools to keep children in school — brought the hundreds of volunteers together.
The volunteers could be seen painting murals, cutting wood and giving the campus a fresh coat of paint.
“We are actually also constructing an outside classroom that teachers will be able to bring kids out and enjoy the day when possible,” City Year Miami Executive Director Karen Velazquez said.
There were also various similar events happening across South Florida.
In Fort Lauderdale, volunteers at the YMCA could be seen giving back as part of Broward College’s MLK Day of Service.
“Today is what we call, as Dr. King once said, it’s a day on versus a day off,” YMCA of South Florida President Sheryl Woods said. “We’ve got people out in the communities picking up trash, doing some neighborhood projects. We’ve got care packages being built inside our facility right now, so they can distribute to the local residents.”
The college has awarded $120,000 to 29 different organizations to make projects like the one on Monday possible.
“It just makes me feel really good about helping others and getting it prepared, and also, getting experience of social skills and letting everyone have the opportunity to help out in their community,” volunteer Alia Mozo said.
More than 2,000 volunteers turned out for Broward College’s MLK Day of Service event.
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