Event fit for a King

Organizers are inviting the community to be part of the 20th annual Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast.

MIDWEST CITY — For two decades, a spirited early morning prayer breakfast has been held to honor the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Organizers are inviting the community to be part of the 20th anniversary of the annual Midwest City Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast set for 7 a.m. Jan. 16 at the Sheraton Midwest City Hotel-Reed Conference Center, 5750 Will Rogers Road.

With Vivian Woodward serving as chairman, the prayer breakfast committee has put together a special program designed to inspire attendees. This year’s theme is “Tapestry of Unity,” referring to the rich beauty and cohesion of a society interwoven with the strengths, resources, backgrounds and stories of many people.

The breakfast was started in 1996 by then Midwest City Police Chief Thomas Michael Jahn. It has grown each year since, drawing crowds of 450 to 500 guests.

This year’s guest speakers include former state Rep. Gary W. Banz and former state Sen. Connie Johnson.

Banz completed his final legislative session in the Oklahoma House of Representatives in November 2016. He represented portions of east Midwest City, Nicoma Park, Choctaw, Harrah and southeast Oklahoma County. Banz served in several legislative leadership roles, and in 2009 co-founded Oklahoma Honor Flights to escort senior veterans to Washington, D.C.

Johnson recently retired from the Oklahoma Senate, representing Oklahoma City’s predominantly black “Eastside,” where her leadership on health, mental health and human services issues that disproportionately affect the economic and social well-being of the poor, minorities, women, children and people with disabilities was game changing.

Tickets for the event are $10 each, and are available at the Midwest City Community Center, 200 N Midwest Blvd., or Prosperity Real Estate by calling 623-1957.

Interested individuals are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance because the event often sells out before the event.

For more information or to purchase table sponsorships, contact Woodward at 623-1957.

[PHOTO BY JIM BECKEL, THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVES] In this 2013 photo, Elvin Baum lowers his head in prayer as the invocation is given by the Rev. Puong Ong Lau during the annual Midwest City Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast at the Reed Conference Center.

[OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVES PHOTO] Members of the Midwest City Fire Department bow their heads as a prayer is given during the 2014 Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast.