Sowing Seeds of Unity… And Ham: MLK Celebration at Camp Jack

Martin Luther King Jr. community event in Harrison.

North Arkansas Partnership for Health and Education (NAPHE) America Corps VISTA hosted a Martin Luther King Jr. celebration at the Jack Williams Veterans Resource Center (Camp Jack) on Monday featuring several awards, special presentations, and a ham giveaway.

Dan Dillard, the Drug Free Communities Coordinator for NAPHE introduced the program and welcomed Rhiannah Prescott, a Camp Jack VISTA Volunteer, to sing the National Anthem.

Mayor Jerry Jackson read a proclamation declaring Martin Luther King Day as a day of service for Harrison that calls on the people to, “pay tribute to the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through appropriate civic, community, and service projects and to visit mlk.gov to find Martin Luther King Jr. day of service projects.”

Tiffany Setchfield, the VISTA Coordinator, noted that MLK Day is the only federal holiday dedicated as a day of service. She went on to talk about how the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light inequality in the community and how the AmeriCorps VISTAs seek to create a more equitable and just community.

Awards given out at the event included the Entertainment Award and MLK Unity Art Award, both presented by Chrissie Larchez, the Region Two Prevention Coordinator, to the Skyline Elementary Second Grade Class and teacher Liz Darden. Five members of the class were present at the event. They sang a song, “We Are the World” by Michael Jackson, and presented a poster celebrating diversity.

Matt Russell, Executive Director of Camp Jack gave a tribute to veterans which focused on the diversity and character of the veterans he fought with during his military service. He told of two soldiers, Rocky and Scooter, who he came across in Vietnam one day after an ambush. Rocky was a large man who had been badly wounded in the leg. Scooter was a very small man who carried Rocky to safety when the ambush hit. Scooter was unconscious, covered in dirt, and suffering from a heat stroke. Russel tried to revive him with water as they flew away from the area, but Scooter died on the journey.

Russel’s point to the story was that while Rocky was white, and Scooter was black only their character mattered on the battlefield.

He said, “the only thing that meant anything was their character.”

NAPHE Executive Director Sherri Hinrichs, dedicated the Camp Jack Unity Garden which will be planted outside the facility when the temperature warms up. Hinrichs said red and white roses have been selected to plant in the garden because, “they represent unity and have great capacity for regenerating new growth year after year. “

Before closing the ceremony Harrison High School Senior Joseph Claus read a poem titled “We Are One World.”

After the program closed all in attendance were invited to take a complimentary ham, courtesy of Tyson Foods. Camp Jack volunteer, Callie Mondy, said that they had over 100 hams to giveaway, and they expect to have leftovers.

If you our someone you know could use a ham, contact Camp Jack while supplies last.