Rockville Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, Awards

ROCKVILLE, MD — Rockville's 48th annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration is around the corner, as diverse performances, awards and a keynote speech make up the "Light in the Midst of Darkness" theme for this year's event, according to a release from the City of Rockville.

NBC4 Washington's reporter Barbara Harrison will deliver the keynote address at the event, which runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 20 at Richard Montgomery High School.

The program, free and open to all ages, will come along with free refreshments and information booths, and community service activities will begin at 11 a.m.

A student at a Rockville high school, who has been working to fulfill King's dream, will be presented with the Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Award, and the F. Michael Taff Award will go to a person, organization or business which has helped improve the lives of people with disabilities.

Before the program, volunteers will make blankets to give to Montgomery County kids. The nonprofit Project Linus, which is making the blankets, has a mission to "provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need, through the gift of new, handmade blankets lovingly created by volunteer 'blanketeers.'"

Another project at the event will be assembling winter survival kits for homeless veterans.

To volunteer for the event, including help with setup and clean up and more, visit the Rockville website or email Janet Kelly.

For information about accessibility, call the city's Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator at 240-314-8108.