A number of observances are planned in the Virgin Islands for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday this weekend.
Among them, the Hebrew Congregation of St. Thomas will honor seven high school students who exemplify the ideals of social justice at a special Shabbat service at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the St. Thomas Synagogue. V.I. Delegate to Congress Donna Christian Christensen will be the guest speaker, and the public is invited.
Each of the students will receive a certificate of honor for their accomplishments and a $200 U.S. Savings Bond. The seven honorees, selected by teachers and principals, are: Karen Cathy Bellot, Seventh-Day Adventist School; Johan Brookes, Wesleyan Academy; Kurt Brown, Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School; Shantel Dobbins, All Saints Cathedral School; Ray Francis Jr., Charlotte Amalie High School; Sophia Greenaway, Ivanna Eudora Kean High School; and Matthew Inabinett, All Saints Cathedral School.
Also on St. Thomas, there will be an 8 a.m. church service Monday at the Frederick Evangelical Lutheran Church at No. 7 Norre Gade. A parade will follow, from the church down Main Street , then up Veterans Drive to Emancipation Garden where Gov. Charles W. Turnbull is expected to speak at a 10 a.m. tribute to Dr. King.
On St. Croix, the seventh annual Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration will take place Saturday at the New Drive-In in Grove Place. On Sunday, there will be a praise and worship service at 3 p.m. in the Sidney Lee Theater at Island Center. On Monday, there will be a march starting at 10 a.m. from the United Shopping Center, ending with a rally at Island Center.
A program of remembrance will take place in Cruz Bay Park on St. John at 10:30 a.m. Monday, with music provided by the Pan Dragons and the Gospel Tones.
