Gov. Gregoire Honors Martin Luther King, Jr.

For Immediate Release: January 21, 2008

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today spoke at events in Seattle and Tacoma to honor the life and spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr.

�Dr. King taught us that violence is not the way to right injustice,� said the governor. �The only lasting way to bring people together to live peacefully together is through non-violence.�

At an event this morning in Seattle, Gov. Gregoire spoke to 150 to 200 volunteers at West Seattle Elementary School. The volunteers organized through City Year and Seattle Works among other groups making improvements to the school.

This is part of the King Day of Service, authorized by Congress in 1994, in which families, schools, faith communities, and other organizations perform service projects and educational activities promoting Dr. King�s message of nonviolence and social justice.

�Dr. King sought to bring communities together for a common purpose. I know of no better way to do that than to join your neighbors to make your community a better place to live.�

Later in the day, Gov. Gregoire spoke to over 1,500 at the City of Tacoma�s 20th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebration.

# # #