YMCA hosts annual breakfast to honor Martin Luther King

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee hosted its 16th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast with presenting sponsor Harley-Davidson Motor Company on Monday, January 21st.

Approximately 600 community and state leaders, including Governor Walker, Mayor Barrett and County Executive Abele, gathered at what has been the largest Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day event in the state of Wisconsin each year.

In the spirit of Dr. King, the YMCA also encouraged a day of service, making the holiday a day 'on' instead of a day 'off’, with a number of volunteer projects taking place in the city today and throughout the week.

Milwaukee Rescue Mission was honored with the BMO Harris Bank Lincoln Gaines Award for the organization’s commitment to community development and outreach in the central city.

YWCA Southeast Wisconsin was honored with the Potawatomi Bingo Casino Diversity and Inclusion Award

In addition, the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee announced the winners of the 2013 Northwestern Mutual Foundation Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Poetry Contest.

Students from across Milwaukee submitted poems based on this year’s theme, which is a quote from Dr. King: “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”

This year’s winners read their poetry during the program. Winners included: Olivia Bell, 8th grader at the YMCA’s Young Leaders Academy, Dominique Fortune, 8th grader at Swallow School, Chris Fears, sophomore at Wauwatosa West High School and Lajuante Murray, junior at University School of Milwaukee.