Hanford’s 9th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration, hosted by the NAACP Hanford Unit 1039, will feature United States Congressman David G. Valadao, 21st Congressional District, as the keynote speaker.
The January 19 event, kicking off at 10am, will include music and entertainment provided by students from local schools and many other groups. Admission is free and the event is open to the public.
Congressman Valadao was born and raised in Hanford, where he has been active in agriculture and dairy industry groups, as well as many local causes including Children’s Hospital Central California, 4-H, Future Farmers of America, and various Catholic Charities.
Valadao’s family immigrated from the Azores Islands of Portugal to the United States in 1969. After settling in the Central Valley, Valadao’s father started a small dairy farm in the Central Valley in 1973.
The Congressman’s family is still involved in agribusiness and Valadao himself is intimately involved in the dairy industry. He has served on the California Milk Advisory Board, Western States Dairy Trade Association, and was elected as Regional Leadership Council Chairman for Land O’ Lakes Inc. He now serves as a partner of Valadao Dairy. The Congressman married his high school sweetheart, Terra, in 1999, and they have three children. Valadao is proud to serve on the House Appropriations Committee, specifically the Agriculture, Interior, and Military Construction and Veteran Affairs Subcommittees.
NAACP Hanford Unit 1039 was reactivated in 2004 by a group led by Dr. Willard Roberson, who later became President of the Unit in May of 2005. Since its reactivation, the Unit has achieved many successes toward community betterment, including offering scholarship funds to top achieving high school students in Kings County. Unit 1039 had headed the effort for the City of Hanford to officially observe the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday. The Unit also provides support for the civil rights for all residents in Kings County.
Contact Dr. Willard Roberson, 559-584-5501 or Al Cason, 559-707-9560 for more information.