The 17th Annual All People’s Luncheon brought community members from all walks of life together for an event hosted in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, while simultaneously raising money to benefit local students through the event’s sponsoring organization, the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Foundation of Pahrump.
Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Foundation Vice President Reva Braun reported that the All People’s Luncheon was once again a triumphant success, remarking that she is delighted each year by the way the community steps up to support the event.
“I think things went well! There were people from a lot of different churches and of course, Valley Electric was there,” Braun enthused when all was said and done. “Church of the Harvest and Second Baptists were all VIP tables and we gave out some awards. One went to Valley Electric for supporting us for 5 years or more, the same award went to Second Valley Baptists and Church of the Harvest, and Saitta Trudeau also got an award for being a very long-time supporter.”
As detailed in the All People’s Luncheon program, several pastors took part in the event, including pastor Harold Davis, who opened the event with a prayer and blessings, pastor Kermit Neal, who took the role of master of ceremonies and pastor Richard Lewis, who had the honor of reciting MLK Jr.’s powerful “I Have a Dream” speech.
The Pahrump Valley Color Guard played a major role as well, conducting the flag ceremonies and closing ceremonies for the event. The Pahrump Valley High School Key Club handled much of the labor for the luncheon, volunteering their time to serve the meal to the many patrons who had come out to show their support.
There was some special entertainment at the All People’s Luncheon as well, including several performances by the well-known and well-loved Nevada Silver Tappers, a troop of area women 50 years and older who prove on a regular basis that age is just a number. On the opposite end of the age spectrum, two young local students made their singing debut at the event, including Tia Jones and Zack Pope, both of whom wowed the crowd with their voices. The Martin Luther King Jr. Choir and Pahrump resident Bill Watson took part in the entertainment as well by their own serenades to awe the audience.
The purpose behind the All People’s Luncheon is to honor the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. by raising funds that in turn go to local students wishing to further their education.
“The scholarships we provide are open to all students at the high school who are graduating this year, they must be graduating this May in order to qualify. This also includes students in Pathways,” Braun explained, remarking that students need to keep their eyes open for the applications, which should be available sometime in February.
The 17th Annual All People’s Luncheon was sponsored by Valley Electric, Aesthetics by Kat, Bella Salon, the NyE Communities Coalition, Paul Foster, Romero’s, Shelly Acosta, Suzanne Fairchild, Team Barrere, Richard and Glenda Vanlandingham, Real Time Pain Relief, Gold Star, Pahrump Valley Baptist Church, Roosevelt and Linda McLaughlin, Saitta Trudeau, Nicco’s Pizza and Yellow Submarine, Fresh Image Salon, Church of the Harvest, Second Missionary Baptist Church and Port of Subs.
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com