Virtual volunteer event to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day

On Jan. 18, volunteers from Poe Museum and Sigma Delta Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. will mark Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s National Day of Service by clearing overgrowth and debris from the pathways and grave markers at Historic Evergreen and East End cemeteries.

The Enrichmond Foundation, which has hosted the event since 2016, will present a virtual broadcast on Facebook of the volunteer efforts.

Typically observed as “a day on, not a day off,” the day of service has regularly attracted hundreds of participants each year, with 2020's turnout of 500 the largest ever.  Due to COVID-19 restrictions, however, the nonprofit will allow only the two groups of volunteers at the cemeteries in lieu of the larger in-person event.

The community is invited to participate by viewing a livestream of the volunteers’ restoration activities and asking questions about the preservation efforts.  To see the Jan. 18 broadcast, visit Enrichmond Foundation's Facebook page from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is an influential figure in the modern fight for civil rights, and his legacy is just as relevant today as it was in the 1960s,” said John Sydnor, Enrichmond Foundation executive director. “All of us at Enrichmond are sad that we cannot hold our annual event in person this year, but we are not going to let that stop us from honoring his legacy.”