VANCOUVER — The lingering snow and ice in the Vancouver metro area has prompted several cancellations and reorganizations of events to honor the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service on Mon., Jan. 16.
Following are a list of events that are still happening, but may have been altered to accommodate the ongoing winter weather:
Unity March Against Poverty: This event, organized by the group Concerned Humans Against Poverty (CHAP) was originally planned for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Vancouver City Hall, 415 W. 6th St., Vancouver, with speeches from Clark County, city of Vancouver, NAACP and LULAC speakers then a march against poverty. Due to icy conditions, CHAP organizers cancelled the march portion of the event on Sunday night, but say the rally — with guest speakers — is still taking place. The event is free and open to the public. CHAP will collect donations at the march of warm winter clothing, blankets, shoes, gloves, hats, socks, hand warmers, chapstick, tents, tarps, and personal hygiene items at the event.
Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service at WSU, Vancouver: This MLK Day of Service event at Washington State University, Vancouver features workshops, children’s activities and a keynote address by Cameron Whitten, the executive director of Know Your City. The event is still going on and is open to the public. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The theme of the event is “Organizing for Social Change” and workshop topics include community organizing, college campus activism, the radical act of self-care and making change at your school. Check-in is from 9:30 to 10 a.m., with a welcome ceremony from 10 to 10:30 a.m., workshops and children’s activities from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and a lunch and keynote address from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Parking is free and light refreshments will be served.
The following events have been cancelled and/or rescheduled due to the lingering snow and ice in the area and on roads throughout the Southwest Washington region:
Beach Cleanup: Originally scheduled to take place from 9 to 11:30 a.m., Mon., Jan. 16, at Vancouver’s Water Resources Education Center, this event has been cancelled due to the winter weather.
Tree Planting at Burnt Bridge Creek: This tree planting event for the Burnt Bridge Creek Trail area, organized by the Vancouver Watershed Alliance, was originally supposed to meet at Fort Vancouver High School in Vancouver at 9 a.m. and run through noon on Mon., Jan. 16. Due to the winter weather, this event has been postponed and rescheduled for 9 a.m. to noon, Sat., Jan. 21.
For more information on cancelled or rescheduled Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service events in the Vancouver area, visit the city of Vancouver’s website here.
