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Officials prep for MLK Jr. events

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Marshall Park is a reminder of a man and his mission of helping others.

Bob Young, with Hands On Charlotte, said the agency has plenty of service options for this Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, including family-friendly projects on Saturday.

“We're making doggie bandanas for local rescues,” Young said. “We are making no-sew blankets for agencies that help out new moms in financial distress. We're making Red Cross kits.”

More than 1,000 people have signed up to volunteer.

On Monday, the Rev. Rodney Sadler will lead the city's March for Justice from the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and it will end with a wreath-laying at the King statue.

“We want to bring attention to all the various concerns that Dr. King would be concerned about, were he alive today,” Sadler said. “Things like health care, mass incarceration, poverty and racial disparity in cities like Charlotte.”

Organizers hope that those who participate this weekend will continue to give to others.

“Their one day of activity for a couple of hours is fantastic, and what we're really hoping is that they get the volunteer itch and we give them the opportunity throughout the year to scratch it,” Young said.

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