Peace Walk draws 200
About 200 people of all ages, races and walks of life marched together through the city in unity for the 10th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day peace walk on Monday morning at Lycoming College.
The large group was bundled up with hats and gloves and held banners that read “Believe” and signs promoting “unity in the community.”
“(Martin Luther King Jr. Day) is about bringing the community together, to get people to recognize differences and make a positive impact for everybody,” Melissa Robey, a junior Pennsylvania College of Technology stu-
dent, said.
For the past 10 years, the Beloved Community Council has organized the peace walk to bring unity to the community. Step AmeriCorp, Penn College and Lycoming College also were a part of the walk.
The group walked from Lycoming College to Washington Boulevard, down Market Street to Little League Boulevard and back to the college.
A Penn College police escort was present as well as a trolley where the Lycoming College Brass Quartet performed marching music for the walkers.
Peace walk participants were glad to make a statement that harmony is possible.
Hannah Dawson, a senior Williamsport Area High School student, said her father asked her to join him in marching and she agreed to go. She enjoyed seeing people of different races and cultures come together and do something.
“It’s like a puzzle,” she said. “We all come together to make a great picture.”
Kathleen Carpenter, of Williamsport, said it is good for the community to try to strive for peace.
“The community can come together and be one and live together,” she said. “You have to just take a lot of steps to get there.”
During the walk, Patrice Brunson, of Williamsport, said she felt peace and joy within herself as she marched side-by-side with her 8-year-old daughter. She brought her daughter to help her better understand peace and unity.
“I felt I was doing something beneficial for the community as a whole,” she said.
Brunson said it is a step closer to living out King’s dream of a peaceful world.
The Rev. Isaac and Sharon Evans, of Williamsport, said they joined the walk to help establish a common ground in the city. By doing so, barriers can be broken and everyone can strive together for a common purpose, they said.
“It’s a great event to come together as one,” Sharon Evans, said. “We are showing the world we can come together in community.”
After the walk, the group gathered in a gymnasium at Lycoming College where the Rev. Spencer Sweeting, of City Alliance Church, addressed the attendees,
Sweeting challenged the participants to not be silent during times of struggle in the nation but instead to be present and make a difference in the city. He said people need to be involved and invested in the community for improvements to continue.
“The best way to honor Dr. King is to not just show up today, but keep showing up day after day choosing to serve, bless and be present,” he said.
When the service ended, the volunteers went out in groups to assist various non-profit organizations in the area. Groups visited include West End Christian Community Center, Saving Grace Shelter, the American Rescue Workers, Sojourner Truth Ministries, the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Footprints of Montgomery, New Love Center Food Pantry, Family Promise of Lycoming County, West House, Center City Food Bank, Firetree Place, Transitional Living Center and the Salvation Army in Williamsport, Muncy and Lock Haven.
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