KMEG 14 - News, Weather, Sports for Sioux City and Siouxland | Students Serve Community to Honor MLK

Students Serve Community to Honor MLK

(SIOUX CITY, IA) In honor of a man who stood for community service, students dedicated their free day to helping their town. University of South Dakota Monday held its fifth annual MLK Day honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

USD students came on their own serving several different organizations. Some put together back packs for underprivileged children, other visited the humane society and a few groups collected food for the local Food Pantry.

"Our whole thing is a day on instead of a day off and doing service for the community of Vermillion and in honor of Martin Luther King," said junior Eric Schlimgen, the leader for a food collection group.

Students got a brief orientation before heading out to their call of duty on their day off.

"What else am I going to do today? It's better to do something for someone else than just sit around and watch TV or something," said Melissa Kutil, a freshman who visited a nursing home.

While bracing the cold, Schlimgen's group tried to fill bags to the brim with non-perishable food. After they collected food from people's homes, they came to the food pantry and started sorting it out.

These students said it's a great meaning to honor a man who changed history.

"He was truly like a big milestone in history and it's very important to honor that and make sure that we don't forget that things like that happened," said freshman Emma Smith.

"MLK means to me a change, a vision, just doing something to better the community. Doing something to better yourself," said Schlimgen.

Those students wrapped up volunteering and celebrated with a Hunger Banquet Monday evening. Many of them said they would love to participate in MLK Day at USD again next year.