Columbus community gathers for Day of Giving

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Savannah Stephens
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs

Members from all over the Columbus community came together Jan. 16 to host the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast and Day of Giving at the Trotter Convention Center.

 

The event began at 8 a.m. and featured keynote speaker Judge Carlton Reeves of the Southern District of Mississippi.

 

Members from Columbus Air Force Base, the City of Columbus, the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau, Lowndes County Board of Supervisors, Mississippi University for Women, Sodexo Food Services, and the United Way of Lowndes County all participated in the event to show their support. The event started with a breakfast for attendees.

 

Following the breakfast, volunteers were invited to the lower level of the convention center for a service activity in hopes of filling over 1,000 lunch sacks. Community members of all ages, including Team BLAZE members, packed lunches for Loaves and Fishes, a community soup kitchen that serves nearly 20,000 people annually. Col. Doug Gosney, 14th Flying Training Wing Commander, Beth Gosney, Col. Jay Fisher, 14th FTW Vice Commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Johnathan Hover, 14th FTW Command Chief, all participated in the event.

 

First Lt. Karen Rubin-Santos, an Instructor Pilot from the 37th Flying Training Squadron, was invited to sing the National Anthem at the beginning of the morning’s events and was heavily applauded by everyone in attendance.

 

“The MLK Breakfast was a success,” said Robert Smith, City of Columbus Mayor. “We appreciate the partnership and participation Columbus AFB provides to the city. We had over 500 people to attend and eat breakfast. A very diverse crowd. Judge Carlton Reeves did a great job as the guest speaker and Colonel Gosney said to me he was amazed at the turnout.”