Base to celebrate MLK Day Jan. 19 Published Jan. 8, 2016 By Rebecca Traynor Affirmative Employment Program Manager TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The theme for this year's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is "A Day On, Not A Day Off!" If you notice though, this theme is a constant each year as the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are celebrated. Dr. King's call in his sermons and speeches was for everyone to work toward a better tomorrow. For this year's MLK Day, Tinker will remember and celebrate through an MLK Day Celebration. The celebration will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 19 at the Tinker Chapel. A light snack will be provided. The speaker for this year's event will be Chaplain (Maj.) John Key. Entertainment is being finalized for the day. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been noted as MLK Day of Service; it is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service -- empowering individuals to strengthen their communities and create solutions to social problems. The MLK Day of Service is a way to channel Dr. King's life and teachings into community action. As we are granted the day off from work on Monday, Jan. 18, let's remember the contributions made by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Let all of us work to use our day off as a day of service. Volunteering at a soup kitchen, donating clothes or food to the needy, writing a serviceman thanking them for their service and sacrifice are just a few things that each one of us could do on this day. This act of service is the least we can do to celebrate a man of character, a man who braved the difficult situations to be on the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement. This day represents the opportunity to start the year off right by making a positive impact in one's community. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr. "All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence." Let's "Remember! Celebrate! Act!"