‘Be the Change’ focus of Rayne MLK Day celebration

RAYNE - Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy of dream and change was the focus of the 17th annual Rayne community-wide celebration of the Civil Rights leaders’ life here Monday.
Hosted again by the National Association of University Women - Rayne Branch, the event drew a near capacity crowd to the Rayne Civic Center for the two-hour event filled with dance, awards and inspirational messages.
The celebration actually began with prayer and presentations at The Depot Square earlier that morning, followed by a march to the Civic Center for the formal program.
Jarvis Forman, a probation and parole officer with the State of Louisiana, delivered the keynote address for the day’s program, stressing the day’s theme, “Remaining Awake Through the Great Dream.”
Forman spoke of people, young and old, to “Stay awake while dreaming the great dream” as he stressed that everyone can leave their own legacy by his three points, respect, reinvention and rebirth.
“By leaving a legacy,” Forman stessed, “One can help at least one person. That change of just one person is worth the work.”
The annual NAUW “I Dare You” award was not presented this year. Instead, it was renamed the Mary K. Figaro I Dare You Award for future presentations and the first of its kind presented to Figaro’s family, who was in attendance for the noon time program.
A number of school awards also were presented during the program to students prek - high school.
Chasity Minix served as mistress of ceremonies for the event with presentations made by members of the NAUW.
Colors were presented by Boy Scouts of Troop 61 and 1412.
Dance numbers were presented by students of P.J.’s Dance School, under the direction of Pamela Senegal; the Armstrong Middle School Step Team and Jazzmin Evans.
Musical selections were sung by Jessica Wiltz.
The official Martin Luther King Day proclamation was presented by Mayor Charles “Chuck” Robichaux.