by James Coulter
Haines City residents of all ages and backgrounds came together last Saturday to celebrate a man who dreamed that all Americans would one day be able to do the same in racial harmony.
Cars, floats, marching bands, and dance troupes marched through the streets of Downtown Haines City during the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. parade.
The procession started at Main Street, then passed along Railroad Avenue and Dr. MLK Jr Way before ending near the Oakland Neighborhood Center, where the remaining Unity Day festivities were hosted with vendors, food trucks, and live music.
Several hundred units from local businesses, churches, schools, and organizations participated in the parade. Participants included the Northeast Rattlers football and cheerleading team, the Lady Bolts basketball team, the Haines City High School marching band and ROTC, and even the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The parade and unity day concluded the city’s weeklong celebration of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The festivities began with Praise in the Park on Sunday and continued with a library presentation on Tuesday and a scholarship brunch on Thursday.
