PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Martin Luther King Jr. Day is national day of service to honor the work of the civil rights activist.
A Portsmouth advocate will be honored during an MLK ‘I have a dream’ breakfast hosted by the Church and Community in Action (CCIA). CCIA works to improve the quality of life for the citizens in Portsmouth. The members will recognize local leaders for their positive impact in the city and award college scholarships to high school seniors.
The 2024 Trailblazer Award Honorees are:
- Lt. Retired Rosetta Brown with the Portsmouth Police Department
- Ms. Barbara Willis with the Portsmouth Community Health Center
- Dr. Mark Julius Hayes organizer of the Saturday Academy for Positive Self-Development
- Horace Savage is the CCIA Lifetime Legacy Award Honoree
The tickets are $40 and the proceeds from the ticket sales go to scholarships for Portsmouth high school students. For tickets, contact Mrs. Marilyn Hill at 757-553-7173 or Angela Hollingsworth at 757-752-7157.
Dr. Hayes works with Portsmouth teens daily at I.C. Norcom High School.
The first weekend of every month, Hayes brings kids and community leaders together for the ‘Saturday academy for positive self-development.’
Hayes is being recognized for his work to address the needs in the Portsmouth community including crime. Hayes tells 10 On Your Side “it’s about saving lives.”
“I can be a blessing on this side of the town in Portsmouth Virginia,” said Hayes. “There is hope!”
His program focuses on education, empowerment, encouragement, inspiration and support.
Dr. Hayes adds, “I hear cries of you don’t really know what we’re going through.”
Later on MLK day, Hayes will will travel with about 100 kids to Richmond for the 32nd annual Virginia Vigil and Advocacy Day to prevent gun violence from 2 p.m. to 5p.m.
The group of students will honor the memory of King who was shot and killed in 1968. The vigil will honor the lives lost by gun violence and push for responsible gun laws.
Ahead of MLK Day, Hayes along with Mayor Shannon Glover dedicated an anti-gun violence blanket during a church service.