The event, which is free and open to the public, will include music, a keynote address by Bartholomew Orr, senior pastor at Brown Missionary Baptist Church, and the announcement of the finalists in MIFA’s fifth annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Contest. Following program, birthday cake will be served and volunteers will participate in a special holiday meals delivery to over 1,000 Memphis area homebound seniors.

As an extension of MIFA’s COOL (College Offers Opportunities for Life) program and its work with inner-city youth, 10 finalists of this year’s teen oratorical contest will be revealed at the celebration. The 2010 contest topic is “Something Good in Memphis: My Blueprint for Service.” The theme was selected to highlight Dr. King’s ability to transform society through community service, and to emphasize MIFA’s current interactive public campaign, “Something Good in Memphis,” which pays tribute to those who are a positive force in our city.