LANSING, Mich. — After a deadly and divisive year, the Delta Tau Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is honoring Martin Luther King Jr.’s memory with a special gift to Sparrow patients and their families.
“It is our honor and privilege to be of assistance to the Sparrow hospital in helping patients stay in contact with their families in this time of COVID,” said Sharon Rodgers, president of the Delta Tau Omega chapter, addressing the media at a ceremony commemorating the sorority’s gift in part of its Martin Luther King Day of Service.
The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s program Pearls of Excellence donated iPads, cases and a docking station for patients who haven’t been able to have many visitors due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“The gift of connectivity, connection and human touch in so many ways has been lost," said Nettavia Curry, president of the Peals of Excellence program. "So this gift allows those patients who might be suffering in isolation to have connection with family, friends, and other loved ones.”
U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin was outside of Sparrow to thank the sorority and ask the Lansing community to honor King with their own commitment to service.
“Reinvest in your community. Go do some community service. Get out of your house. Even during COVID, you can do this safely,” Slotkin said.
The Dr. Martin Luther King Commission of Mid-Michigan hopes the community will continue to serve in King’s spirit beyond Monday’s holiday.
“Many individuals look at today as a day of service. Our mission and our focus is to center people so they can spend the entire year looking at ways they can serve their community and their fellow man,” commission Chairperson Elaine Hardy said.
Hardy hopes the holiday can bring back a sense of optimism to America.
“That’s where my optimism is because we have been here before and I know that as we look forward to being a community of brothers, looking at people not by the color of their skin or by who they worship or who they love or where they lived but by looking at our shared humanity, I know we can get there. I believe it in my heart,” Hardy said.
To stay up to date on celebrations of Dr. Martin Luther King throughout mid-Michigan you can visit: www.mlkmidmichigan.com/events
If you would like to donate to the Pearls of Excellence program here in Lansing, you can contact them at lansingpearls2020@gmail.Com
King was a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the brother fraternity to the AKAs, and in just two days the U.S. will swear in the first Alpha Kappa Alpha as the vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris.
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