Monday, January 17, 2005; Page B04

THE DISTRICT

Birthday Celebration: Clergy from Greater First Baptist Church and Ohev Sholom Talmud Torah lead a group study of the civil rights leader's final speech and the last words of the book of Deuteronomy. A light supper will be served, followed by a concert by the church choir. 6 p.m. 1600 Jonquil St. NW. Free. 202-812-8900.

National Day of Service: "A Day On, Not a Day Off!" Volunteers are needed to participate in King National Day of Service activities at six District schools: Roosevelt High School, McFarland Middle School, Sharpe Health School, and Powell, Adams and Harriet Tubman Elementary schools. Registration at the schools begins at 8:30 a.m. Work will be done from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by a lunch at Roosevelt High, 4301 13th St. NW. Sponsors are Best Buy Children's Foundation, AmeriCorps*NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps), the District of Columbia Jewish Community Center, D.C. Youth Advisory Council, Howard University and the Latin American Youth Center.

22nd Commemorative Breakfast: The United Negro College Fund's Washington Inter-Alumni Council celebration focuses on the theme "Deliberate Speed: Brown v. Board of Education and Bolling v. Sharpe." 9 a.m. J.W. Marriott Hotel, 1331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. $50 (tax deductible). 202-737-8623.

Musical Tribute: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Georgetown University celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a performance in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. The program, part of the daily performance series on the Millennium Stage, features singer Aaron Neville, members of Georgetown University Choirs, the Sweet Heaven Kings and the Metropolitan Music Ministry. 6 p.m. Free; no ticket required.

Youth Nonviolence Event: This program features the World Children's Choir; Mayhem Poets, who use hip-hop rhythms and theatrical techniques to motivate students; and Robert Arias and William "Blinky" Rodriguez, a team from California who work against violence and provide after-school and employment services for high-risk youth. 1:30 to 4 p.m. Washington National Cathedral. Free. 202-537-2221.

Interfaith "Prayer, Peace & Praise" Service: The Rev. A.C. Durant will be the host pastor for the event. 10 a.m. to noon. Tenth Street Baptist Church, 1000 R St. NW. Immediately after the interfaith service, there will be a wreath-laying at the African American Civil War Memorial, Vermont Avenue and 10th and U streets NW.

21st Annual MLK Jr. Memorial Breakfast: Sponsored by the United Planning Organization. 7:45 a.m. Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, 2660 Woodley Rd. NW.

Youth Nonviolence Program and Service: A traveling memorial to King called "Eyes Wide Open: The Human Cost of War" will be on display at the Washington National Cathedral from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. An interfaith gathering with themes of peace and nonviolence and readings from Christian, Hebrew and Muslim faiths will be held from noon to 1 p.m. The Rev. Eugene Sutton, canon pastor of the National Cathedral, will lead D.C. students through an event focusing on nonviolence from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Washington National Cathedral, Massachusetts and Wisconsin avenues NW.

Annual MLK Jr. Day Celebration: The event, with the theme "Unity," is a joint celebration of Peoples Congregational United Church of Christ and Adas Israel Congregation, with performances by the Urban Hip Hop Choir and Peoples & Adas Israel Youth Choirs. WOL-AM radio host Joe Madison will be the guest speaker. Noon. Peoples Congregational Church, 4704 13th St. NW. Free.

Ward 8 King Parade: The 27th annual parade will start at 1 p.m. at Ballou Senior High School, 3401 Fourth St. SE, and will move along Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE to U Street in Anacostia. The parade will end about 3:30 p.m. D.C. officials will take part, along with marching bands and other groups.

Fourth Annual King Tribute: Black Voices for Peace is sponsoring children's activities, a community feast and cultural performances and will present an award to local activists. A film, "MLK -- The Making of a Holiday," will be shown. Free. 3 to 6:30 p.m. at the Festival Center, 1640 Columbia Rd. NW.

MARYLAND

33rd MLK Jr. Birthday Celebration: Journalist and three-time national Emmy Award winner Renee Poussaint will join Rockville community members, speakers and performers to celebrate King's achievements. Duke Ellington School of the Arts Concert Choir will sing, and Jeff Ball of Rockville will play the American Indian flute and will perform with a dancer from the American Indian Society of Washington, D.C. The city's cable channel, TRC 11, will present a video tribute, "A Dream for All of Us," which will detail the impact of King's work. Noon. F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 603 Edmonston Dr., Rockville. Free. www.rockvillemd.gov.

Breakfast and Seminars: King's legacy will be remembered through seminars and discussions on race relations in Southern Maryland. Sponsored by St. Mary's College of Maryland and the Martin Luther King Jr./African-American Heritage Month Committee. Breakfast from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.; discussions from 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Both at St. Mary's College of Maryland, Campus Center, 18952 E. Fisher Rd., St. Mary's City. Breakfast $5.50, seminars are free. 301-904-3690.

Lanham Memorial Breakfast: Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele will be the keynote speaker at the Ebony Scholarship Society's King breakfast. 8 a.m. La Fontaine Bleu, 7963 Annapolis Rd., Lanham. $25. Reservations required. 301-306-0258.

MLK Jr. Birthday Tribute and Day of Service: Help make bag lunches for the homeless, create teaching aids for children in the Head Start program, make greeting cards for people in local nursing homes, decorate place mats for people served by Meals on Wheels and more, noon to 3 p.m., followed by a remembrance ceremony, including speeches, entertainment and awards presented to young people who help carry on King's legacy. Marriott Hotel, large ballroom, 6701 Marinelli Rd., Rockville. Free. 240-777-2600.

Tribute: Hillcrest Heights Community Center will host an event honoring King. 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Community center, 2300 Oxon Run Dr., Hillcrest Heights. 301-505-0896.

Celebration: Harmony Hall Regional Center will host a celebration of King's life and achievements. 1 p.m. Regional center, 10701 Livingston Rd., Fort Washington. Free. 301-203-6040.

Commemorative Performances: Seat Pleasant Activity Center will host a tribute to King with dramatic readings, music and dance performances. 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Activity Center, 5720 Addison Rd., Seat Pleasant. Free. 301-773-6685.

Community Service Award Breakfast: 29th annual King memorial breakfast sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha Inc. of Montgomery County. Keynote speaker is U.S. District Court Judge Alexander Williams Jr. 7:45 a.m. to 10 a.m. Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, 5701 Marinelli Rd., Bethesda. $40; $25, children 12 and younger. 301-879-9889.

Church Service: The DaySpring Community Church will hold its annual King service, "Living the Lessons From Dr. King's Life," at the Robert Goddard Montessori School, 9850 Good Luck Rd., Seabrook, where it worships. 11 a.m. The speaker will be George Shinhoster, who worked with King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference as a field organizer in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and South Carolina. Shinhoster is currently an associate executive director of a YMCA in Charlotte, N.C., and a speaker and trainer. Deborah Simpkins, 301-653-8049.

VIRGINIA

Celebration and Oratorical Contest: The 20th Annual Martin Luther King Day Celebration and 15th Annual Martin Luther King Youth Oratorical will focus on the theme "Martin and Malcolm -- Two Roads to Freedom." Students from regional districts of Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park public schools will compete and be judged on voice, diction, style, speech length and theme interpretation. The Martin Luther King Community Choir will perform, as will local recording artist Robert Maletick, a soprano saxophonist. Sponsored by the Prince William County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and its Delta Education Foundation. 11 a.m. Hylton Memorial Chapel, 14640 Potomac Mills Road, Woodbridge.

March and Celebration: March to Douglass Community Center, 407 E. Market St., where a program celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. will take place. Each participant is asked to bring nonperishable food items for the InterFaith Food Program. 10:30 a.m. Loudoun County Courthouse, King and Market streets, Leesburg. 540-687-8230.

Bell Ringing: The ringing of a historic Pennsylvania church bell in memory of King is being sponsored by the Bluemont Civic Association. Noon. Constitution Bicentennial Gardens, North George Mason Drive and Wilson Boulevard, Arlington. Free. 703-527-6118.

MLK Jr. Program: Media presentation and exhibit, sponsored by the Alexandria Society for the Preservation of Black Heritage. 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. City Hall, Vola Lawson Lobby, first floor, 301 King St., Alexandria. Free. 703-838-4300.

James Madison University MLK Jr. Day Observance: Myrlie Evers-Williams, chairperson emeritus of the NAACP and widow of civil rights leader Medgar Evers, will speak. 7 p.m. Wilson Hall auditorium, 800 S. Main St., Harrisonburg. Free.