South Houston High School students take part in the Houston Rockets MLK Day of Service

South Houston High School students take part in the Houston Rockets MLK Day of Service
Posted on 01/20/2020
This is the image for the news article titled South Houston High School students take part in the Houston Rockets MLK Day of Service








By: Kadey Heidrich
PISD Communications

Fifteen students from South Houston High School participated in the Rockets MLK Day of Service on January 17.

The event, now in its second year, celebrates the life and legacy of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by allowing students, law enforcement officers and former Rockets to participate in thoughtful conversation and give back to those in need.  

The Day of Service began with an interactive panel discussion featuring Houston Rockets alumni and members of the Houston Police Department. HPD officers, members of one of the nation’s most diverse police force, spoke about how they are working to build bridges between police and the communities they serve.

Panel members also discussed the impact of Dr. King’s legacy not only on the community as a whole, but also on their individual lives. Several panelists talked with students about growing up around the time of the civil rights movement and the challenges they faced.

“Hearing from someone who lived during that time was really cool,” said Melanie Almanza, a senior at South Houston High School.

Following the panel discussion, students and Rockets legends took part in a community service project. Volunteers formed an assembly line to prepare boxes of food for senior citizens on behalf of the Houston Food Bank, a non-profit organization which distributes 104 million meals annually. As they prepared boxes of food, students learned about the importance of working as a team, as well as, donating their time.

“I had fun. It was really inspiring to learn about working together with former Rockets and other schools,” said Lauren Wolford, a sophomore at South Houston High School. 

As an added perk, students who participated in this service project will receive two tickets to the Houston Rockets game on January 20.